


I'm Not Fragile

by Diana_G_J



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Adventure, Bromance, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Epic Bromance, Epic Friendship, F/M, Fem!Hiccup AU, Friendship, Frobidden Friendship, Gen, Leaving Berk, Multi, Norse Mythology - Freeform, POV First Person, bit more than canon violence, moderated violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-08 06:31:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 101,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5487125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diana_G_J/pseuds/Diana_G_J
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After shooting down Toothless Hiccup realizes she can't kill dragons, or at least, she doesn't want to. She leaves Berk with Toothless and go to live with dragons. Time passes and Hiccup discovers the true behind the war between dragons and Vikings, more important yet: she discovers she can end it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. This is Berk

_It was cold. The salty water were filling my lungs, I didn't try to stop it. I was getting down… and down. I could still see the colossal walls of fire, and I could only think in one thing… Toothless._

_This was our end, and we weren't together as we promise. But at least I could die in peace knowing that all this war was over._

_I'll tell you all I can remember, beginning for the day everything changed._

**Chapter one: This is Berk**

My father voice woke me up, "Hicc, they need me outside. Stay. Here." He ordered slowly, highlighting the words.

"Okay." I replied with a sleepy voice and heard him leave the house. I looked at the closed window, even like that I could tell the sun hadn't make a sigh in the sky. Why would I go outside so early? And why he told me to stay, anyways? I turned and huddled on my bed to sleep again.

My eyes shouted open, there were only one reason for him to tell me to stay. Dragon raid.

The last few times I had screwed it up with my inventions and he had tried to keep me inside, but if he wanted me to stay he should had tried harder.

Putting on my pants and boots I ran downstairs taking my knife and putting it on the back of my belt, being ready I headed to the door grabbing my vest on the way.

I opened the door and instantly froze at the sight of a dragon flying just in front of the house. The Monstrous Nightmare turned its head and saw me _'damn it'_ it opened its jaw and I closed the door putting my weight on it –not that it did a lot difference-. The impact of the fire pushed it a bit but it stayed closed.

"Dragons." I smiled, I was right. I tried it again and opened the burned door just the necessary to see if the dragon was gone. With no dragon in sight I began to run to the blacksmith. The battle horn rumble in my ears and soon Vikings were running out of their houses to fight dragons and putting on my way, I made my way between them without problem, the perks of being so scrawny.

"Hiccup!" someone pulled me back saving me of being burned by a Nightmare. I was going to thanks him when I saw that the one holding me was the Chief, I shrugged ready for the scold. "What's she doing out again?" He questioned to anyone in particular, his voice booming above the dragon screeches, then turned to me, "What are you doing out? Get inside!" and pushed me in direction of the blacksmith.

"Raise the torches!" Someone screamed. The Torches lighted up the night sky letting the villagers see the dragons. I looked up for a moment, Nadders, Zipplebacks, Gronckles, Nightmares, there was a lot of targets. Finally I arrived the blacksmith; I took off my vest and put on my apron.

"Ah! Nice of you to join the party, I thought you'd been carried off!" Gobber welcomed me.

"Who, me? Nah, come on, I'm way to muscular for their taste" I knotted the apron on my back the tighter I could; it was too big for me.

"Yeah, of course." he eyed me up and down, "Such a Viking" rolling my eyes to the sarcastic one-handed Viking I began to work, transferring break weapons to the forge as the Vikings outside wait for replacements.

I took a bunch of already done swords and hatchets and took them to the window with both hands. The waiting mass bundled for the new weapons and leaved as soon they had handed one.

"FIRE!" someone screamed and the other teens went to help. I didn't play them attention and leaved the window for a box of bolas.

"Come on! Hurry up!" Asher voice broke my poor concentration and made me return my steps to the window. They were carrying buckets with water. Fishlegs; my cousin, Snotlout; the twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and… Asher.

A fireball exploded behind him and made him look more awesome of what he already was. I felt a smile growing on my face. I erased it in a second when he turned his gaze to the forge. They ran for more water and passed in front of the blacksmith, I eyed down to a forgotten sword with a bored look, pretending that I was busy and not watching him.

I looked over my shoulder to Gobber; he was distracted giving shape to a sword, _perfect._ I jumped out of the blacksmith "Where you think you're goin'?" Gobber held me in the air in middle of my jump.

"Aw, come on! Let me out, I need to make my mark." a scene of me killing a dragon illuminated my face with a silly smile.

He dropped me "Oh! You've made plenty of marks, all in the wrong places." he ended poking my chest with his forceps-hand and erasing my smile.

"Please, I'll kill a dragon this time." he gave me a fed up look "My life will came infinitely better, I might even have a date." I tried to persuade him gesturing to the window where people began to amass.

He sighed, "You can't lift a hammer, you can't swing an axe… you can't even throw one of these." He grabbed a bola from the box I was supposed to let on the window. The first Viking in line took it and threw it to a dragon making it fall.

"Yeah, I know" I said getting my eyes away from the fallen Gronckle and backed at my new invention, a bola launcher named The Mangler. "But this will do it for me." Proudly I patted it, bad decision –my life seems to be full of those-. The Mangler threw a bola to Gobber, he moved on time but hit a Viking outside instead. I winced "Sorry" I whispered.

"See, this is what I'm talking about." He gestured to The Mangler and I hurried to defend it.

"Mild calibration issue-" he cut me off, didn't wanting to hear my excuses.

"Hicc, if you ever want to go out there and fight dragons, you need to change all…" he gestured the air around me, thinking what word would hurt me less "This." didn't find it.

I grimaced, "You just gesture to all of me."

"Yep. You need to stop being you."

"Ohhh." I said threatening.

"Ohhh, yes." Gobber mimicked me.

"You, sir, are playing a dangerous game." I warned him "Keeping all this much raw Vikingness contained?" I gestured as if trying to keep bottled my _'raw Vikingness'_ "There will be consequences!"

"I'll take my chances." he replied not amused and took the sword he had re-shaped and dropped it in my arms, making me almost fall by its sudden weight "Sword. Sharpen. Now."

Annoyed I went to the gridding wheel to sharpen the sword. _'One day I'll kill a dragon, I'll show all of you that I'm not as fragile as you think'_ I gave the new sword to a Viking outside and carried the new damaged weapons to the forge, heating them up. I passed my forearm for my forehead to wipe out the sweat. Gobber extended his good arm with a bunch of arrows; I passed by his side grabbing them in my way to the gridding wheel without a word and a pout in my lips.

"You need to cut your hair, your braid is getting longer." Gobber said after a long and tense silence, trying to make me forget what he had said.

"Is not long." I rapped out finishing with the last arrow.

"I don't want to have another accident with it."

"C'mon. That just happened once!" he stared at me and slowly raised an eyebrow, "Okay, twice." I accepted, "But I'm not going to cut it."

"If it gets burned-" He began threatening but a scream cut our conversation.

"Night Fury!"

"Get gown!" somebody yelled back. I did exactly the opposite and ran to the window just in time to see a catapult tower exploding at a Night Fury blast.

"Mangler, your time has come." I whispered to myself, smiling.

"They need me out there, Hiccup" Gobber changed his hand to a battle axe, I couldn't hide my smile in time and he saw me "Stay. Put. There. You know what I mean." He said with a several look and leaved the blacksmith with a battle cry. My smile got bigger.

I took a bow and handed it to Ack with the arrows before I changed to my vest, took The Mangler and ran outside.

"Hiccup, where are you going?!"

"Came back inside kid!"

"I know, I know. I'll be back in a minute!" _'With a dead dragon'_ I ran to the cliff with the smoking-catapult _'remember, don't shoot to the village, that'll bring problems'_ I reached and prepared The Mangler, directing it to the forest. It was ready but too tall for me so I stood on the handle.

"Please, give me something to shoot at, give me something to shoot at." I prayed to the gods and looked to the dark sky, listening carefully. The characteristic noise of a Night Fury when it was near to shoot came to my ears and I searched for the beast. The noise became stronger as the dragon got closer, a plasma blast stroke the catapult again and for a little moment I saw it, illuminated my its own fire.

I aimed, closed my eyes (why I did that!) and shoot. The power of the released bola overthrew me. The roar of a dragon made me to open my eyes.

"I-I hit it?" the dragon was falling to the forest, near Raven Point "Yes! I hit it!" I stood in a jump throwing my fist to the air "Did anybody see that?" I turned searching for anybody near, there was one… dragon. I dropped my arms "Except for you." The Monstrous Nightmare crushed The Mangler, getting closer to me. It opened its mouth and I began to run, screaming.

I entered the main plaza eluding the Nightmare's fire. I hided behind a torch and its fire enclosed me, instinctively protecting my head with my arms. The fire stopped, I gulped and looked back in search for the dragon. A hot, wet breath stoked my neck, waving my braid. It was behind me; I froze, closing my eyes resigned.

Someone hit the dragon, saving me of being eaten; it was the Chief. _Great_ , twice this morning.

The Nightmare opened its mouth but only smoke got out of it. "You are all out." The Chief cracked his fingers and started punching the dragon, making it to fly away. I pursed my lips and took a step to the left hiding again; my luck made the torch to brake down, the head fell and started spinning to the docks. I winced at every disaster it made; I screw it up again, didn't I?

"Sorry, Dad." I shrugged as a folk of Nadders flew away in the sunrise with a net full of sheep, one fell, bleating in its way down. It could be funny if this weren't the situation. "Okay but I hit a Night Fury." I tried to compensate. He grabbed me for the neck of the vest and pulled me to the house "It's not like the last few times, Dad. I actually did it, you guys were busy and I had a very clear shoot." Vikings began to come to the plaza, I could feel every single pair of eyes on me, I bushed, I never liked when people stared at me; but I kept trying "It went down, just off Raven Point. Lets get a search par-"

"STOP!" he cut me and I stood, pursing my lips and looking up to him _'No, please, don't do this. Not in front of all.'_ I tried to look down but I was trapped in his gaze. He softened his tone a bit "Just… stop." everyone went silent. _'No. Please.'_ "Every time out step outside, disaster follows. Can you not see I have bigger problems? Winter's almost here and I have an entire village to feed!"

I looked around, all the eyes upon us, upon _me._ I tried to smooth the atmosphere, "Well, between you and me the village could do with a little less feeding, don't you think?"

"This isn't a joke, Hiccup!" well, that didn't work. "Why can't you follow the simplest orders?"

"I-I can't contain myself, I see a dragon and I have to just… kill it, you know?" I twisted an imaginary dragon's head as I talked, "It's who I am, Dad." I finished trying to sound cool but probably making a fool of myself.

He sighed, "You're many things, Hiccup, but a dragon killer is not one of them. Get back to the house." He turned to Gobber, "Make sure she gets there, I have her mess to clean up." I looked down, resigned; Gobber joined me and banged my head to start walking.

"Quite the performance." Tuffnut said when I passed in front of the others my age. His sister laughed.

"I've never seen anyone mess up that badly. That helped!" Snotlout scoffed. "You're just like your mother." He muttered but I still listened.

A fire set on my chest and I turned to kick him. Gobber held me up for the neck of my clothes and Snotlout backed up a few steps. I kept trying to hit him, kicking and punching the air. "Don't you ever dare to talk of my mother!" I screamed wishing my father to be close enough to hear me. Ohh, he would end him if he hears him talking like that of her, family or not.

Snotlout took his position again just a few inches of my legs reach and with a smirk in his face that just made me want to hit him harder. I stopped trying, knowing that Gobber won't put me down until I did.

Gobber moved slightly his arm to cut the space and let me hit him once. I used the chance he gave me and kick him on the face; the hit took him down. I calmed down with a growing smile, liking the look of my cousin in the floor with a blooding nose and the twins laughing at him, I even saw Asher trying to contain a smile.

My feet touched the ground and Gobber pushed me to the house. Still angry I did. "You know that they only want to bother you."

I didn't answer. I knew, but it made me mad that people that didn't know anything about my mother messed with her. We were near the house, I looked over my shoulder to see if no one was close enough to hear us, "I actually hit one this time."

"Sure you did, Hiccup."

"He never listens."

"Runs in the family." I ignored that.

"And when he does, it's always with this… disappointed scowl. Like someone skimped on the meat in his sandwich." We reached the doorway and I started to mimic my father, "Excuse me, barmaid, I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring. I order for an extra large _boy_ with beefy arms, extra guts and glory on the side. This here. This is a delicate flower, what am I suppose to do with this- this talking fish bone?"

"You're thinking about this all wrong. It's not so much what you look like. It's what's inside that he can't stand." And _that_ helped a lot.

"Thank you! For summing that up." I turned to open the door.

"Look, the point is, stop trying so hard to be something you're not." Gobber tried to comfort me but his words hurt me more.

I sighed heavily, "I just wanna be one of you guys." I enter the house not looking at him. If I'm _not_ a Viking… what am I?

Grabbing my sketchbook I leaved trough the back door and enter the woods _'I'll show them'_ I opened the book where I had my self-made map of Berk –at least what I had explore that was basically the Hooligans Village, Raven Point, and Long Beach- and began to search for the downed dragon.

* * *

Not here. I put another X in the map.

Here neither. Another for the collection.

The sun had almost reach the highest point in the sky, I was hungry, my feet hurt and I began to put off, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, open an eye and… nothing. Releasing the breath I added one more X. In frustration I scratched the charcoal stick over the whole map. I sapped the book closed and put it in my vest.

"Ugh, the gods hate me." I kicked a little rock off my way, "Some people lose their knife or their mug. No, not me. I manage to lose an entire dragon!" I hit a branch that had get on my way; it swung back at me and hit me in the face, "Ow!" I put my hand on my face and look at it, there was no blood so I didn't need to worry a lot but now it was time to get to the house and I got a bruise on my cheek.

I looked at the branch like if it had the fault of everything that goes wrong in my life. Then I turned my gaze up a saw a snapped tree trunk. I followed it with my eyes to a long trench of upturned earth. The curiosity invaded my head and I began to walk.

My hands wandered at my sides, touching the exposed roots and the fresh dirt. What did this? I turned my eyes up and rotated my body, walking backwards as I saw a hole in the trees made by broken branches. I reached the end and turned, climbing the last part. I yelped and hide as soon as I saw a big mass of black scales. Now I knew what did this. The trench had driven me to the _Night Fury_.

I gave a sneak peek at it, it didn't move so it hadn't heard me. I extended my neck to look better at it: its body and tail were tangled with the bola, and its wings slightly open and trapped too. It appeared dead. I stood and searched for my dagger, putting it in front of me for security. The little knife would do nothing to that dragon but it was better that nothing.

Getting down the trench I hided in a rock, took a deep breath and then approached to the black dragon. "Wow, I did it." I looked bewildered at the thing in front of me it was weird, it didn't feel real, but it _was_. "I did it, this… this fixes everything. Yes!" I put a victory pose with a foot on the Night Fury "I have brought down this mighty beast!" It suddenly moved the leg I had my foot on, with a gasp I got back, hitting my back on the rock I was hiding before, and turned my dagger at it. In a few hesitant steps I was again on its side. My heavy breathing almost matched the dragon's, its chest was moving to fast but in a seconds it was calming. I looked at its head and found the Night Fury eyes staring coldly at me. I tried to look away but my gaze returned to the Night Fury's.

The black-scaled dragon growled and I wanted more than ever to get my eyes away from his. I exhaled trying to get all my fear away with the air. "I'm going to kill you dragon. Then I'll cut off your heart and take it to my father." I fixed the knife on my hands, ready to stab the beast right on the chest. "I'm going to show them that I'm not fragile. That I _am_ a Viking"

The dragon grunted and for some reason my brain took it like if it didn't buy it, "I am a VIKING!" I shouted, now angry at the thing. I took it out of the sky. _I_ trapped it. "I'll show _you._ " I muttered raising the dagger over my head.

The Night Fury's breathing broke my concentration; it had accelerated, like if it was frightened. I look at its eye… its eye… it was like mines, greens with golden-yellow lines. The only difference it was that mines were like the green forest around us and its were of a toxic green. But there was something else in common…fear.

My arms began to fall when I realize that it was frightened, of _me!_ It knew it was going to die and it was afraid for it.

Shaking my head and closing my eyes to don't see the dragon my arms raised again. I opened an eye and saw the Night Fury lower its head and close its eye, giving up. I looked at the dragon's chest, I felt my breathe so heavy now, my arms began to shiver but I kept them in the air, ' _I can do it, just one move and all will be over. I can do this. I can do this… I can't.'_ I lowered my arms with a frustrated sigh, hitting my head with the dagger.

I let my arms fall to my sides and looked at the dagger in my hand then to the wounded dragon. Green dragon-blood was covering most of the ropes; there were a puddle of blood by its neck where a piece of rope was nailing the scales very hard. For a moment I thought in myself, trapped in ropes embedding my skin. I backed a few steps, "I did this." I was responsible for its pain, for the blood, for the wounds on its scaly skin. I no longer wanted to kill it; I just wanted to get as away as possible from it.

I turned and gave a step away before I stopped, looking back at the dragon. I couldn't leave it like that. Biting my lip I gave a quick consideration to the options and for some stupid reason I decided to look over my shoulder to confirm that no one was watching and returned to cut the ropes that kept back the Night Fury.

My eyes turned back with each rope I cut; if someone saw me I was a dead man… woman. The last rope fell free and the Night Fury pounced me down, my head hit hard to the rock I hided in. I was dead. I was completely and absolutely dead.

Its grip tightened on my chest with a low growl when I tried to move. Paralyzed I looked at its eyes, now fury in them, an intense and toxic green but still like mines. I could see the wild of the forest around us reflected in them. I got lost in them for I don't know how long as the fear inside me grew and grew.

The Fury snarled, opening its jaw to blast me or eat me whatever was going to be my end. I closed my eyes waiting for the heat of the fire, its teeth ripping my flesh; but the pain never came. What did was an ear-piercing scream.

I opened my eyes to see the Night Fury flying away. I put a hand on my chest, feeling my heartbeat and panting. I am _alive._ I stood up feeling weak and hearing the dragon wailing and thumbing over the still-ringing scream in my ears.

 _Now_ was time to return to the village. I tried to walk but in a few steps my legs failed making me fall on my knees and faint.

* * *

The sun had set when I woke up. I ran to my house knowing that the Night Fury was still there and I didn't want to confront it again and less at night. I entered the house making no noise, hopping my dad wouldn't be there. Slowly I closed the door and turned to see him sitting by the fire. I grimaced and slowly reached the stairs and quickly ran up. "Hiccup" he stopped me.

I closed my eyes, "Damn it." I muttered. "Dad. I… uh… I have to talk to you, Dad"

"I need to speak with you, too, Hicc." He stood up and rubbed his hands.

I took a deep breath, "I've decided I don't want to fight dragons."

"…Fight dragons." Wait, what did he said?

"What?" we said at the same time.

"You go first."

"No, you go first." I insisted trying to delay what I needed to tell him. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it and reached for my cheek. "I was in the forest." I shortly explained. At least he knew me enough to know that I got injured wherever I go (well, all the village knew that) and accepted the excuse lowering his hand.

He nodded at me, "Alright, you get your wish. Dragon training. You start in the morning."

"Oh man, I should've gone first." I said way to fast, panicked. "Cause I was thinking that…uh…I" Come on, think on something, think on something! "I can continue working in the smith with Gobber, have you talk to him? He says that I'm getting better at it." I babbled as I reached the floor again.

He handed me an axe, _his_ axe, "You'll need this."

I put my hands behind me avoiding taking it, "I don't _want_ to fight dragons."

"Oh, come on. Yes, you do." He said in chuckles.

"Rephrase. Dad, I _can't_ kill dragons."

"But you _will_ kill dragons." He forced the axe to me. I walked backwards rejecting the axe and looking at it like it was the devil itself.

"No, I'm really very extra-sure that I won't."

"It's time, Hiccup." He said seriously.

"Can you not hear me?"

"This is serious, daughter! When you carry this axe, you carry all of us with you." I gave a look at the axe and finally took it with a sigh. Its weight dragged me down "Which means you walk like us." He helped me to correct my posture, "You speak like us. You think like us. No more of…" He gestured the air around me an I knew exactly what was coming, "This."

I gave out a frustrated sigh, "You just gesture to all of me."

"Deal?"

"This conversation is feeling very one-sided." I could literally say _anything_ and he wouldn't listen. Hey, Dad, wanna know what I did today? I took down a Night Fury, didn't kill it, let it free and almost got killed by it. Isn't that amazing?

"Deal?!" It had no use to argument with him. I was no longer talking to my father, it was the Chief.

I sighed, "Deal."

He grabbed his helmet and a bag and reached for the door. "Good, train hard. I'll be back, probably."

"And I'll be here, maybe." I looked down to my grip. I heard the door open and close but he didn't get out. He put the bag on the floor and sighed. I turned my gaze to him.

"Hiccup." He walked towards me and knelt in front of me reaching for my cheek "Honey, I'll not be always here to protect you. Just today you almost got killed twice." Tree times, actually, you didn't see the first. "I need you to know to do it your self." He said slowly and I tried to smile nodding to him. "Do your best." He stood up, grabbed his things and leaved, closing the door after him and leaving me alone.

I looked at my father's axe and put it in the table. There was a bowl with my dinner but I didn't want to eat, not now. I leaved to my room; I would leave it for the morning.

I stopped in the middle of the stairs _"I'll be back, probably"_ was they going…? I turned to see the closed door and listened. There was move outside. I ran to the door and opened it.

The image of Vikings hugging and kissing their fathers, mothers, husbands and children let me breathless. To the nest…. they will go to the nest. I closed the door and lay on it, I sat on the floor and hugged my knees.

What if he doesn't come back?

Quite tears made their way down my cheeks as the fear of losing my father dominated my head. _"I'll not be always here to protect you"._

 _'_ _No! What are you thinking? Have you forgot who is he? He is Stoick the Vast! The greatest Viking Berk had_ ever _seen.'_ I mopped my tears with the back of my hand and sniffed. I need to calm down. He's going to be okay. I? I needed to sleep; tomorrow would be a _long_ day.

I went to my room and looked behind my desk searching for my little stuffed dragon. I didn't needed to see if there were someone watching me, I was alone in the house.

I sat on my bed and hugged it; it was the only thing I had to remember my mother. When I was little I had dropped it into the ocean, two years ago I found it on the beach, I cleaned it and hided it from my father. I really had no idea of why I hided it but it was my little secret.

Beginning to hum I lay down. That was the other thing I had to remember my mother, her humming. I didn't remember her voice or the song but I _knew_ she sang for me, and not a lullaby, it was _their_ song, my parents' song. When she died Dad continued humming it to me when I was sad, hurt, ill or couldn't sleep; but he never sing the lyrics again. He stopped humming for me five years ago but the melody had been recorded in my head permanently.

"Mom, please, let him come back" I said in tears and fell asleep humming their song.


	2. Dragon Training

I woke up before down. I tried to sleep again but I couldn't so I waited for the sun to come out before heading down for breakfast still thinking on my father. They should be reaching Helheim's Gate by now. I look at the bowl on the table, good think that I didn't have dinner; I didn't want to go to the Meat Hall with the other teens. It was bad that I would pass the next weeks enclosed with them in the arena.

In all the breakfast I kept staring at the axe with a weird feeling of emptiness crushing my stomach. I quite eating, if I kept going I would surely throw up. Moving the bowl aside I kept my gaze on the weapon. He should have taken it with him, it was especially done for him what was I _doing_ with it?

Exhaling nervous I grabbed the axe with both hands and headed out. The other teens were coming out the Meat Hall in their way to the arena, with Gobber in the head, he was the only one who saw me and nodded at me to follow him.

I did, walking alone in the back of the group. Fishlegs looked back and saw me. He stopped and waited for me. "Do you want me to help you with that?" He gestured to the axe.

"I can do it." I said coldly like if I wanted him to go away although I didn't. I had to admit it: Fishlegs still knew me; he kept walking with me and even tried to begin a conversation.

"I'm so exited! Our first class in Dragon Training. Aren't you exited?"

"Yeah, I suppose." I mumbled.

"Who you think will do the final test?" he asked me. I looked up to see Asher walking a few meters in front of us. He had his long, blonde hair tied back in a braid with exception of his bangs and a few locks of short hair. He was wearing a blue shirt with shoulder plates and a skulked belt in his hips, dark blue pants and light brown boots. "Yeah, me too." Fishlegs agreed with my quite answer, his voice sounded a bit dropped but then returned to normal, "I'll try my best but we have to admit that Asher is the best of us."

Asher was holding his axe with one hand like nothing and swung it telling the others a story, probably of his last travel to the Meathead Island. I looked down to my hands; my knuckles had become white with the effort of holding the heavy axe.

I worked in the smith, yes; I could make any kind of weapon from cero, fix them and sharpen them. I could _carry_ with them all the way in the smith, their weigh dragged me dawn a bit at first but I _can_. Swing them like that? Throw them? Walking a _long_ way with them? Gobber had reminded me yesterday: no.

And to make it more difficult this axe was made _especially_ for my father. Heavy enough for him and just for his hand grip.

Snotlout and the twins began to laugh at Asher's story; something melted inside me when I saw Asher's smile. He searched for Fishlegs, to tell him about whatever they were laughing, his smile died when he saw him with me; he turned and continued with this story.

Fishlegs didn't care and tried to hold a conversation with me. He had read a lot times the Dragon Manual and basically memorize all about dragons. He began to tell me all he knew and I listened carefully to him, knowing that it would get it hand one day.

We reached the Kill Ring and Gobber raised the iron-gate that leaded us down to another gate, "Welcome to Dragon Training." He said lifting the second gate. I stopped in the hallway, Fishlegs, in his excitement didn't seem to notice and leaved me behind joining the others.

Slowly I walked in. Five gates at the bottom were bumping, there were ashes all over the place, wooden barricades on the walls and shields scattered on the floor; the walls covered in scorched silhouettes of blasted Vikings. Very confortable.

"No turning back." Asher said to himself, fearless and very sure of himself. I wish I had that confidence.

"I hope I get some serious burns." Tuffnut told his sister.

"Nah, I'm hopping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or the lower back." She replied.

"Yeah, It's only fun if you get a scar out of it." By the tone on Asher's voice I could tell he was expecting some, too.

"Yeah, no kidding, right? Pain, love it!" I said sarcastically. Even with fifteen years I had suffer a lot of pain, and let me tell you that is _not_ funny at all. Snotlout, Tuffnut and Ruffnut that hadn't saw me turned groaning and looked at me.

"Oh great, who let her in?" Tuffnut said, annoyed. "She doesn't belong here, she's too _fragile._ "

 _That's it! Let me show you who is fragile._ I adjusted the grip in the handle and gave half a step forward before Gobber stopped me putting casually a hand in my shoulder. "Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of _killing_ his first dragon in front of the entire village." Gobber twisted his hook-hand giving emphasis to the word.

"Hiccup already killed a Night Fury, so does that disqualify her or…?" Snotlout scoffed. Asher rolled his eyes as the twins began to laugh.

"Yeah, I killed two of those yesterday, too." Tuffnut laughed as they walked away.

"Don't worry. You're small and week, that'll make you less of a target and they'll go for the more Viking-like teens instead of you." Gobber patted my shoulder trying to comfort me (didn't work) and put me in line with the others. I put the axe on my shoulder like my father had put it last night. "Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight." Fishlegs at my side began to giggle in excitement. "The Deadly Nadder."

"Speed eight. Armor sixteen." Fishlegs said to himself.

"The Hideous Zippleback."

"Plus eleven stealth. Times two." An enthusiastic Fishlegs raised his voice.

"The Monstrous Nightmare."

"Firepower fifteen."

The dragon hitting the doors began to freak me out. I wasn't ready for this.

"The Terrible Terror."

"Attack eight. Venom twelve." Fishlegs almost screamed.

"Can you stop that?!" Gobber shouted at the teen. "And… the Gronckle." He put a hand in a lever with a malicious smile.

"Jaw strength, eight" Fishlegs whispered to me but I didn't put him attention, I had been looking at Gobber's hand. And I wasn't the only one.

"Whoa, whoa! Wait!" Snotlout screamed, "Aren't you going to teach us first?!"

"I believe in learning on the job." Gobber pulled the lever and an angry Gronckle rose out from its cave. I didn't wait to anyone to say something, I started to run, and the others did the same so I passed unnoticed. "Today is about survival. If you get blasted, you are dead. Quick, what's the first thing you're going to need?"

"A doctor?" I said sarcastically although in my case it wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Plus five speed?" Fishlegs tried.

"A shield." Asher said self-confidence.

"Shields! Go!" Gobber agreed. I ran to grab one from the floor, "The most important piece of equipment is your shield." I tried to take it but with the axe it was kind of difficult; Gobber helped me putting it in my arm and throwing me to the battle as he continued talking, "If you must take a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield."

The dragon went for Ruffnut and Tuffnut who were fighting for a shield. "There's like a million shields!"

"Take that one, it has flowers. Girls like flowers." Ruffnut took advantage of his brother speaking and yanked the shield from his hands and hitting him with it. "Ow!"

"Oops. Now this has blood on it." She said and offered it to him like if she didn't want it anymore. Tuffnut grabbed it and they began to pull for it again.

The Gronckle blasted the shield and the twins span and went down. "Tuff, Ruff, you're out!" Gobber informed. Well, at least I wasn't the first one.

"What?" They asked in unison, still confused for the spins.

"Those shields are good for another thing: noise. Make lots of it to throw off a dragon's aim." We began to hit our weapons in the shields, the Gronckle growled, confused. I took the chance and began to walk backward to hide in a barricade. "All dragons have limited numbers of shots. How many does a Gronckle have?"

"Five?" Snotlout guessed.

Fishlegs raised his hand corrected him, "No, six!"

"Correct, six. That's one for each of you!"

I gave a sneak peek to see what was going on, "I don't think-ah!" The Gronckle cut whatever Fishlegs was saying with a blast to his shield. He ran to one side of the arena with the twins.

Gobber spotted me hiding from the Gronckle, "Hiccup, get in there!" I exhaled and got out a little, as soon as I was out the Gronckle saw me and shot in my direction. _Nope._ I threw myself behind the barricade. I took a deep breath and got out of my hiding spot. "Snotlout! You're done!" _What!_ Snotlout is out, Fishlegs is out, the twins are out so… Asher rolled to my side.

"So, I guess it's just you and me, huh?"

"Nope. Just you." He rolled out. What? I looked forward and understood.

The Gronckle was flying directly to me. I covered with my shield but the dragon's fire took it off of my arm letting me exposed. I cursed under my breath and chased for the shield.

"One shot left!" The Gronckle was just behind me. "Hiccup!" I changed direction and ran to the wall searching a way out but found me trapped. My foot slipped and my head hit the rock wall. I crawled back trying to get away from the snarling beast. It opened its mouth to finish me; I felt the heat and closed my eyes.

I heard the explosion and covered instinctively my head as small rocks and ashes fell on me. I opened an eye and saw Gobber with his hook-hand on the Gronckle jaw. "And that's six!" Gobber jacked the dragon to its cage; it resisted pulling back. "Go back to bed, you overgrown sausage." Gobber span and threw the Gronckle inside the cave closing the gate quickly. Still wadded up on the floor my breath began to calm. "Remember, a dragon always, ALWAYS," Gobber turned to me, "…go for the kill" He jacked me up, "It's all for today."

I looked towards the pit on the stone that could have been me. The Gronckle was still growling, the door rattling. I followed the others to the village.

Yesterday I was as close to death as today, on the exact same position… but the Fury didn't shot at me.

"Don't worry. It was the first day. You'll make it better." Gobber tried to comfort me.

"If you say so… I'll be in the house."

"Uh hum." He knew that 'in the house' meant 'in the woods' and that _that_ meant that I wanted to be alone. I gave him a small smile to show that I was okay and leaved passing between the others. I felt their eyes on my back as I ran to the house. I entered, grabbed the sketchbook and ran into the woods.

* * *

Crouching and putting my elbows on my knees I gazed at the cut ropes. _A dragon always goes for the kill_. I grabbed the bola, dry, dark green dragon-blood on it.

"So, why didn't you?" I looked up to where I remembered the dragon flying away and found a trail of broken branches. Dropping the bola I stood up and began to follow the trail. Was I _really_ searching for it?

After a few minutes walking I found a passage, I jumped down and entered. I had never been so far from the village and I had the feeling that I shouldn't be doing this but something made me keep going.

The passage leaded to a cove. There was a big pond inside that covered pretty much all the cove fed by a waterfall. Big trees in the border of the cove were showing their long roots all the way down. At the bottom, huge rocks covered in mold followed by a space of dirt before reaching the pond.

"This was stupid." I sighed. It's a dragon; it can fly away whenever and wherever it wanted. Why did I tough it would still be on the woods?

A little shine distracted me; I looked down. Are those… _scales_? I crouched and took one to examine it. It was black and cold, a little green, actually. I scratched it and the green broke away.

Hope filled me inside. There was just _one_ dragon I had seen with black scales; no Nadder, no Zippleback, no nothing have black scales. Those were Night Fury's scales… it was here. A black shadow passed in front of me and I jumped back with a yelp. _Night Fury._

I raised and held to the wall to see the dragon scrapping the stone and falling back, soaring back to earth. I inspected the stones under me and jumped down to look better at the legendary Night Fury; hiding as a smile grew on my lips.

The dragon took flight and twisted to the left and fell. I was probably the only Viking that had survived to it. _What are you thinking! Of course you are._ I searched for my book in my vest and opened it in an empty page to sketch the dragon as it flew and fell one more time with a loud thud and a snarl.

"Why don't you just… fly away?" The Night Fury blasted the dirt in frustration. And I noticed an error in my sketch, the dragon wad a one-sided tail fin. What a _weird_ dragon. I put the pencil down to erase the extra part with my hand; I looked at it and then at the dragon, it was acceptable. Putting the sketchbook down I accidentally pushed the pencil; it rolled to the border of the stone. "No, no, no!" I crawled trying to reach it but it fell.

Turning my head to the dragon, hopping that it didn't hear me, I froze; it was staring at me. I looked at its eyes; the Night Fury returned the gesture and began to… to purr? Was it purring?

The Fury moved its head in curiosity (curiosity!) and I moved my head, too; no, I moved my head first… no, it did. No, I… wait, what? The dragon shook its head and turned to the pond to catch some fish; the fishes swam away when he came close.

"I bet you're hungry," I mumbled "I'll bring you food." I stood and shook off the dirt in my pants. I gave the dragon a last look over my shoulder and leaved.

* * *

The fish basket was empty so I went to buy more; at first it was easy to carry with the basket now that was full I needed to haul it. To my good luck my house is in the other extreme of the village. _Yay_!

I began to haul the basket. _Damn fish, damn village, and damn dragons._ _Damn branches, too._ I added to the list as I remembered the bruise on my cheek. I just had taken a few steps when someone helped me with the basket.

It didn't surprised me that someone helped me; with my scrawny body most of the villagers feel pity and help me. But he had never help me –at least not since I was eight- and now he was carrying the basket for me. I stood in the same place, shocked by he's gentle gesture. Where had this kindness come from? Was it a joke? No, it wasn't his style; but neither was this. Maybe the twins challenged him. No, he wouldn't accept such a thing.

His voice broke my toughs, "Are you coming or not?" Asher was a few steps away. I blushed and walked with him, trying to look to wherever except to his face. I ended looking to my boots.

We reached the door, I opened it and waited for him to give me the basket but instead he entered to the house without permission and put the basket in its place by the one of bread.

"Uh… Thank you?"

"Gobber wants to talk to you." He said coldly and without looking me passed by my side and opened the door to me. I stood in my place looking at him confused. He exasperated gestured to me to leave the house.

I got out; he closed the door and went by his way. I blinked confused and went to the blacksmith.

Gobber welcomed me when I reached, "There are you! Come here, lass, take this." He threw me his hammer-hand, I cupped my arms and wait for the hammer to fall in it, its weight made me take a step back. _What a surprise._ But I straightened myself in a second and put the hammer-hand aside. "What's with that face?"

"It's my face, what do you want me to do with it?" He glanced at me and rose an eyebrow as he put his forceps-hand on, "Something weird happened." I rubbed my neck and looked outside where Asher was walking to his house.

"Ohh…" Gobber laughed; he was implying something with his tone, something that I didn't like. My blood ran to my face in a second and I gave Gobber an I-will-kill-you look that just made him laugh harder. "You still like him." He continued laughing.

I crossed my arms over my chest and glanced down letting my bangs to cover my red face. "I don't." I hissed.

"You said the same last year." He said taking a piece of metal that soon would be a hatchet from the forge; he examined the steal and threw it again to the forge.

"Well if you just wanted to mock on me I'm leaving." I made sign of turning and he stopped me.

"No, it wasn't just that. I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

"What?" I asked confused. He was the one who called me.

"Oh! Don't ya' tell me that you're not worry about yer father or that you're not pissed out with Ruff, Tuff and Snotlout jokes? Give me that box." He waited for my answer, he had always supported me and talked with me when I needed it but I wasn't in the mood for it.

I took the box of broken weapons he pointed –it was more than nothing full of the metal parts- and gave it to him.

"Yes, I'm worry about Dad but… he's a great Viking, he'll return, like always. I can feel it." I told him and lay on a table trying to hide my fear of losing my other parent. I didn't convince him at all.

"You wanna a hug?" He said opening his arms and moving his fingers in a very ridiculous invitation, although he stole me a smile.

"You're all sweaty, if you hug me I'll stink like you for a week." I joke with him, he laughed and disheveled my hair. I laughed with him and gave him a short hug.

"Do you need any help?" I asked looking around the smith.

"Nah, I want you to rest well and be completely focused in Training. After it's over I'll show ya' how to make an axe." He said and pushed me to the exit, "Now go to sleep, have you dinner?" I nodded even when I had not, my stomach betrayed me and Gobber gave me a look, "Make yourself some dinner and go to rest. We have training in the morning."

I sighed, "Don't remember me."

"Don't ya' worry. You'll do better." I gave him a sad look and tuned to the house. "Have sweet dreams, if you know what I mean." He told me before I leaved the smith; I grabbed the first thing I could that happened to be a piece of broken shield and threw it at him.

Gobber covered with his arms as he laughed. I rolled my eyes and leaved.

But I couldn't stop thinking in what he said yesterday. He was right, if I couldn't even lift my axe properly, how could I swing it? I needed to change if I wanted to fight dragons, but I don't want to change… I don't want to fight them… I _can't_.


	3. Dragon Manual

Dragon Training was a fail.

Like yesterday we tried to avoid been blasted by the Gronckle; and like yesterday I almost died.

The dragon had tackle me, I ducked and the Gronckle passed flying upon me – it was pretty impressive actually – the only problem was when I stood up. The Dragon had turned and almost hit me with its massive tail in the head. Asher pushed me off the way of the dragon's tail receiving the hit himself. He's so mad at me right now. Although, no one noticed that he pushed me away, it looked like an accident… may be it was.

But since Asher got hurt Gobber gave us the rest of the day, we will met in the Great Hall at night.

Now I was walking with a fish on my satchel in my way to the cove. Was I really going to feed that thing? "This is by far the stupidest thing I have _ever_ done." I didn't mind for anyone to hear me in my frustration with myself I was way too far from the Village. "You didn't kill it and now you are going to feed it, great, Hiccup" I reached the enter of the cove and made my way inside, "But tell me, what's the next step? _Pet_ _it_?" I screamed as I looked inside; frowning I got close to the edge.

"Hey, where are you?" I kneeled and grabbed to the border of the stone inspecting the cove. "You leaved…" I breathed out, siting on my ankles, with more disappointment that I would like to admit. _'Of course it leaved! Why would it stay? He can fly anywhere.'_ I let out a long, tired sigh.

"I wish I could." Throwing my head back I looked at the sky, may be it would come back.

I glanced at my satchel and got out the fish, I pursed my lips and look at the cove "This was for you anyways." I threw the fish inside. Standing and dusting my pants I turned.

A weird noise came from the cove; slowly I turned my body and looked down. The corner of my lips began to rise; the fish was gone, the Night Fury was still there! I kneeled again and searched better for it.

The minutes, _hours_ passed and there was no sign of moving life besides the fishes in the pond and no other sound than the tiny drops on the water. I sighed, it was time to return.

* * *

The light rain became a downpour. I entered the Great Hall dripping water and covered in mud till my knees. The other teens and Gobber where already eating on a table. "…Alright; now, where did Asher go wrong in the ring today?" Gobber asked.

"I mistimed my summersault dive." Asher himself responded, "It was sloppy. It threw off my reverse tumble." That and that he got himself hurt, well, it was my fault but no one knew that.

Tuffnut rolled his eyes as his sister replied, "Yes, we noticed."

"No, no. You were great. That was so 'Asher'." Snotlout told him. _Bootlicker._

"He's right, you must be tough on yourselves." All eyes turned to me when I reached the table. Snotlout moved not letting me sit and giving what was supposed to be a charming smile. I rolled my eyes and took my plate and walking to the next table not missing the opportunity of taking his cup before he moved to his right place. "Where did Hiccup go wrong?

Seriously? He was putting me on this? I glanced at him when I passed by his side. The simple fact of being me was pathetic; I didn't need him to help.

"Uh, she showed up." Ruffnut offered. That was actually correct.

"She didn't get eaten." Tuffnut continued. That… too.

"She's never where she should be." Asher eyed me coldly. ' _That's not_ -' I looked at him for the first time since Training, He had a big bruise in his jaw and a bandage on his entire left arm, good thing he is right-handed. I sighed and sat down _'true.'_

"Thank you, Asher" Gobber stood up, "You need to live and breathe this stuff." He laid a giant book in the center of the table, "The Dragon Manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of." A thunder shacked the Hall "Ah, no attacks tonight. Study up." He exited the Hall, leaving us staring at the book. My jaw fell open. He had to be kidding. That thing was bigger than me!

It took a little bit longer to he twins to realize, "Wait, you mean read?" Tuffnut said dropping the knife he was playing with and turning to the door, expecting to see Gobber there, but he was gone.

"While we're still alive?" His sister said as shocked as him.

"Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about?" ' _Because if you don't know what the dragon can do you are just going to get yourself killed.'_ I rolled my eyes to Snotlout and focused on my food again.

"Oh! I've read it like seven times." Fishlegs couldn't contain himself and began to talk "There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water at your face. And there's this other one that buries itself for like a week-"

"Yeah. That's sounds great," Tuffnut cut him, "There was a chance I was going to read that…"

"But now…" Ruffnut finished.

Snotlout got up, "You guys read, I'll go kill stuff." He leaved the table with the others following him, the twins fighting each other and Fishlegs mumbling more things about the book. Man, I would wish he had stayed; he could have helped me study.

Asher took the book and went to my table, was he going to study with me? He dropped the Manual in the table. "Read it." he said with venom in his voice and looking me at the eyes.

He joined the others and slowly the Mead Hall began to empty as the rain became stronger. After I finished my dinner I took a candle from other table –there was no way I would walk with the book in the rain.

Two little flames were the only light source in the Mead Hall. I just could see a few tables around me. I opened the book and began to read.

"Dragons classifications. Sharp class, fear class, mystery class…" I turned the page "Thunderdrum. This reclusive dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tide pools. When startled, the Thunderdrum produces a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight." I looked at the illustrations of decapitated Vikings that decorate the page and passed to the next.

"Timberjack. This gigantic creature has sharp wings that can slice through full-grown trees… extremely dangerous. Kill on sight." The candlelight made the illustrations look so alive.

"Scauldron. Sprays scalding water at its victims, extremely dangerous- AH!" A massive roar sounded outside the Hall and illuminated the room. I force myself to calm down and pass to the next page; it had been just a thunder.

"Changewing. Even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight." This was getting boring, I changed the pages searching for a more interesting dragon, reading just a few words in each page. "Gronckle, Zippleback, The Skrill, Boneknapper, Whispering Death…" Are the drawings moving? "Burns its victims. Buries its victims. Chokes its victims. Turn its victims inside-out" How did it do that? I didn't stop to see. "Extremely dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight. Kill on sight. Kill on sight." It's something that we don't kill on sight? I turned the page; it's blank, just the title and a few words. No image.

"Uh?" I read the title, finally something interesting, "Night Fury. Speed unknown. Size unknown. The unholy offspring of lighting and death itself… Never engage this dragon. Your only chance, hide and pray it does not _find you_."

I pulled my sketchbook out of my vest and opened it on the draw of the Night Fury and threw it over the blank page. "I should be dead. Why didn't it kill me?" I looked at the stats and inspecting the rough draw "You are not so big, bigger than a Gronckle. But streamline, built for speed… even in the ground." I yawned and rubbed my eyes.

Picking up my sketchbook and closing the Manual I leaved for my home, knowing that I would not study.

* * *

"Hope you have study!" Gobber welcomed us.

"Agh!"

"I told you." Ruffnut laughed of her brother.

"You didn't study either." Tuffnut erased her smile and a slap-fight had begun.

"This has no sense. Why don't we just kill it?" Snotlout asked to no one in particular.

"You need to know what are ya' fighting." Gobber answered him and Snotlout rolled his eyes annoying Gobber. "Okay, so what would you do if a Snaptrapper attacked you?"

"Kill it." Snotlout simply said, I bet he doesn't even know what a Snaptrapper is – not that I knew either but at least I wasn't messing with Gobber. Although, I saw it on the book last night.

"It's the one with four heads?" I whispered to Fishlegs.

"Yes." He whispered back, exited.

" _Really_? And tell me, how do you do that?" Gobber tested him.

"Cutting its head, dah!" Cut off the dragon's head was the most effective way to kill it, it was obvious that Snotlout was going to answer that and by Gobber's face it seems that he was waiting for that answer.

He got close to Snotlout's face and I waited for the next question to see my stupid-arrogant-cousin's reaction. "Which one?" Snotlout paralyzed, the twins began to laugh at him and I totally allowed a smile.

At my side Fishlegs raised his hand. Gobber, now satisficed with Snotlout's face, gave him the word.

"A Snaptrapper is a very dangerous Fear Class dragon. It has for heads and can open them in three different ways. It deceives its victims making them think that is a plant and can produce a delicious smell from their mouths to lure in potential prey. They also spit acid that can sting foes and even melt through metal. They are capable of swallowing a Viking whole. And to kill them you need to cut at least two of its heads." I stared at Fishlegs, amazed. He _really_ needed to help me study.

"Correct. And that's why is necessary to know how to kill a dragon. You don't just run like a fool with a weapon in your hand."

Snotlout groaned, "What Viking would ever confuse a dragon for a plant?!"

"Well, I know one." Gobber said gazing Snotlout. "Now take sit." He said to everyone and we sat on the wooden floor, outside the arena. I sat at Fishlegs side; Asher sat in the other side. An angry Snotlout let himself fall between the twins at my right.

"Who says _deceives_?" Snotlout mumbled. Leaning back to see him I answered him.

"Someone who is going to survive." I whispered; the twins heard me and laughed as I let Tuffnut's body cover mine from Snotlout sight.

At least today I wasn't the worst at training, may be I didn't know much but I answered what Gobber asked me. Fishlegs answered more questions than the others followed by Asher, then by me and Ruffnut that maybe hadn't study but know something; Tuffnut answered seven (short of), and Snotlout answered five.

"Tomorrow we will fight the Gronckle again. You can take a rest, we will meet in the Great Hall at night." Gobber said and we leaved the place immediately.

Snotlout went to "kill stuff" and the twins followed him; Asher and Fishlegs began to talk about the dragons in the manual so I decided to ask for Fishlegs' help latter and leaved to the cove stopping for a fish in my house first.

* * *

"Come on! I know you are here." I plead to the apparently empty pit. I had look for the Night Fury for at least forty minutes. My legs are asleep for being in the same kneeling position and the only sight that it was still here was a burned circle of grass that wasn't here before.

A little drop of water fell on my hand and I looked to the cloudy sky.

In that moment a weird noise sounded in the cove. I looked down to the fish that no longer was on sight.

"You don't want me to see you, huh?" It began to rain. A light rain that soon would became as strong as yesterday. "Damn dragon." I leaved; I didn't want to end as dirty as last night.

* * *

"Damn Gronckle." I said under my breath as I readjusted the satchel on my shoulder, "Damn Training." I jumped with clumsiness a downed tree, my foot got couched on a sapling and I fell to the grass hurting even more my sore arm, "Damn shield." Getting unclenched and still on the floor I twisted and kicked the tree, "And damn you!"

Standing up with a frustrated scream I continued walking and cursing on my way to the cove.

Today wasn't my day. I woke up late and I didn't have breakfast. Gobber didn't let Asher train and now he was more than mad at me. I was the first one out in the Training; the Gronckle had shoot me fire and I covered with my shield, it almost fell of my arm –again- but I kept it in, my hand twisted awkwardly and my arm got scraped with the wooden shield so now I got a bandage all over my arm and _another_ in my wrist. The Elder had bandaged it and gave me the day, I think that's the only good thing because I didn't need to stay out of the ring with Asher and I got time to go to the Mead Hall to eat something. My aunt was on the kitchen, I just gave her a hopeless smile when she saw my arm and she made no question.

I took out a fish from my satchel when I entered the cove and threw it as far as I could to my left; I took the other two and threw one to my right, near the pond, and the last one just let it fall in front of me.

"And now, wait." I sat at the edge of the stone and watch carefully the three fishes for a few minutes.

The minutes became hours and I took out a cooked fish to calm my hunger. The day became night and I began to frustrate. I stood up screaming.

"You know, this is not a good day. I brought you fish and the only thing that I ask for is to see you!" I didn't know what was I expecting with that but there was no move inside. I screamed again and kicked the head of the fish that I ate – I don't like the head; it's disgusting.

I turned to leave and there was the noise again I returned the fastest I could, there was no fish in the cove. Any of the three, it even eat the head!

"Are you serious! You fu-" I contain myself for a second, I shouldn't say that word. The last time I said that my father have punished me, I had heard him said that a lots of times, same with Gobber and the others on the village, he said that I was too young. But he wasn't here now… "cking dragon!" I finished and leaved.

* * *

I entered the house slamming the door and heading to my room, slipping down in the wooden bed without anything to do.

"Why can't I see it?" I asked to the air. _'Why do you want to?'_ I shrugged "I don't know…"I mumbled, "It's a Night Fury. No one has ever seen one, except for me." _'Then why didn't you kill it? Then you could see it whenever you want'_

Giving a frustrated sigh I answered myself, "You know why. I couldn't." _'You are a Viking!'_ "I know! And I hate myself for this but… its eyes. You saw them too, it was _afraid._ And its eyes remember me to mines… it's weird. Gobber says that Gothi have told him that things happens for a reason. You think that, well… you know."

_'_ _Couldn't kill it because something will change?'_

"I have a feeling that that dragon will make a difference in something." _'In what?'_ "I don't know, but that will be important. I need to enter the cove..." I sighed and covered my face with my hands "I'm getting crazy."

* * *

Someone knocked the door; it cracked open waking me up. "Hiccup?" Gobber asked for me, I groaned and heard him enter the house at my feeble response, "I brought you dinner. Come here, I want to see your arm." Rolling on the bed to my feet I stood up and walked downstairs rubbing my eyes to take away the sleep.

With a yawn I sat over the table as Gobber set the fire up. I swung my feet like a little child and waited for Gobber.

"What you did in the woods?" He asked me as he turned to me and gave me the bowl of oats and fruit.

I shrugged and put the bowl on my lap as I drew up my left arm to him. Gobber removed the bandage of the wrist as I carried a hand full of oats to my mouth.

" _'_ _ajically, nothi'g_." I said with still food on my mouth. Gobber examined my wrist, twisting it a little. A small, sharp pain followed his moves; I winced a little and kept talking after I swallowed, "I just sat there alone, it's quiet, I like it." Well at least it wasn't a lie.

"Gothi said that you'd be fine to train in a few days." Gobber said after a minute, "You better not get yourself hurt again, you _need_ to train." I rolled my eyes as he banded my wrist up, "Anyways I want to see you in training."

"I can't train, it doesn't mater if I go or not" I jumped down of the table with the bowl on a hand and drawing a fist of fruit to my mouth with the other before I sat on a chair.

"Ya' will study."

"What? No." he was joking, right?

"Yep." It seems like he liked to ruin my life.

"That thing is boring and I know the essential. _Please_ I don't want to stay out of the ring with Asher."

"First of all, the essential is not enough to-"

"It is for me!" I cut him off. Shouldn't have done that.

"I will question you the _whole_ book" I groaned and slammed my head with the table, he laughed, "See ya' in the mornin'."

"I hate you." I mumbled against the wood.

"I like you too, lass." Gobber disheveled my hair and leaved closing the door behind him.

* * *

When we reached the arena the teens with exception of Asher and me entered and Gobber gave us the Manual before entering himself so while the other where training we would be "studying".

What I was really going to do was to search for anything about the Night Fury. I was thinking on how would I do that without Asher noticing but he let me the book and went to sit in the edge of the ring and began to sharpening his axe with a rock that he have in the bag on his belt, watching the others train.

I was about to tell him that that was just going to ruin his precious axe but he was not going to listen to me so I put out my notebook and opened it in the Night Fury sketch.

Maybe we had seen one, just not in the same color and tough it was another kind of dragon, no one had ever seen the one from here and they are very weird. It could be a mistake.

A big one.

After gods-know-how-many-minutes and me realizing that there was no mistake I slammed the book closed and kicked it away opting for the option Asher had took and stopped "studying" and do another thing instead.

Opening my sketchbook on a blank page and resting on my belly I began to design a new machine since the last one were crushed by the Nightmare.

I was half way finishing it when Asher stood up, "Come on." He said me, I looked up at him and stopped playing hit my foot on the air and quietly put a hand over the draw, I don't like people looking at them. I stared at him confused, he was angry with me, why was he talking to me? "Come!" He said again and I stood up and followed him putting my sketchbook in my vest.

"And where are we going?" I asked as I heard that Fishlegs was out from fighting. I really should ask him to help me.

"To teach you how to hold an axe." He said sharp.

"Yeah," I pointed back to the arena with my thumb over my shoulder "I rather go and ask Fishlegs-"

"Don't be such a baby." Asher grabbed my good wrist and pulled me away from the arena, he dropped my hand when we had crossed the wooden bridge and I rubbed my hand on my fur-vest to brush the tingling sensation off my skin. "Go for your axe, I see you in the forest."

Asher leaved to the woods and I went to my house, "I know how to hold an axe," I said to him, knowing that he couldn't hear me but that was the point, "But I'm too weak to do so." I grabbed my father's axe and began to doubt if go or not; giving an exasperated sigh I leaved for the back door and went to find Asher.

* * *

"Why it take you so long?" he asked as he threw his axe to a tree with his good arm.

_Why don't you shut up?_

"The forest is a big place," I opted for a less bitter answer. He went to unstock his axe to throw it again; I saw how easily he carried with his weapon and thought it better "You know, I don't think this will work."

"No if you don't try." He pointed me with his axe.

"My left arm is injured and I'm left handed." I tried to get off of this.

"Then why you carry your shield with the left?" He was truly confused.

"It fells better." I shrugged; he raised and eyebrow to me, "But most of the things I do I do them with my left."

"Then you can use both hands." He walked towards me.

"Yup, this is not gonna work." I said most to myself.

"Can I see it?" He asked reaching out his hand to my axe. I gave it to him. "It's your father's axe?" Like of it wasn't obvious, who on earth would give me an axe! I nodded anyways.

Asher's face illuminated with every second he held the axe, it seems like he always wanted to touch it. He adjusted his grip on it and threw it to a tree, a childish smile appeared on his face when it tucked on its target.

"I am serious. I can't even carry with it, how will I do that?" I gestured to the tucked axe.

"With patience." He said and went to unstuck the hatchet "And practice."

I rolled my eyes and muttered, "Lot of practice." Asher returned and handed me the axe; I put my hands on my back. "What if you keep doing that and I go-" He took my hand and put the axe on it; like always its way weigh almost took me down so I took it with both hands. "This is not a good idea, I am telling you."

"I've seen you carry heavier things in the blacksmith, you can carry an axe." He said correcting my posture.

"Carry and throw it's very different." I said trying not to blush as he touched me, "You are not giving up, right?"

"Nope." He gave a smile I didn't know he had and I needed to bit my lower lip to not blush. Asher tried to show me how to swing it property with his own axe and I tried to imitate him but it was to heavy; plus my arm hurt.

I have no idea of how many times I tried to imitate Asher in different things but the sun was on top and getting down when he finally resigned.

Asher let himself fall on the ground and sighed, "Maybe an axe is too heavy for you."

Rolling my eyes I sat to rest too. _Tell me something I don't know._ I looked down to evade his eyes, to evade him entirely, actually. I felt his eyes on my and I began to put nervous.

"Have you tried a sword?" I raised my gaze to him. Of _course_ I have tried a sword! But I can't blame him, he wasn't here when I returned from Flashburn's academy, he was in Flashburn's island actually, he arrived like five months before I leaved.

In Flashburn's school I tried every weapon to choose the one that better fits me. Swords are light, an extension of your arm and I'm very good at it. I haven't touch one in ages aside than the ones I fix on the smith.

"No." I lied looking at my left, staring at my father's axe. Axes are more intimidating, the perfect weapon for a Viking, for a _Chief_. Dad uses an axe, my grandfather used an axe, and my whole family had used an axe. My father loves hammers but uses an axe anyways.

I seriously doubt that everyone liked to use axes and I don't know who began with the axe-thing but now its kind of tradition.

"Swords could be easier for you to use, they are lighter." I raised my glare and saw him lowering his eyes to his hands and axe.

"Thank you." The words leaved my lips without permission; he looked up to me, I blushed and mumbled, "F-for this, and for kicked me out of the Gronckle's way," I rubbed the back of my neck "And sorry for the bruises, the eye and your arm." I remembered something else "Aaand for breaking your axe, and for burning your house in that raid, and for-" his laugh distracted me; I blushed more.

He was laughing! Why was he laughing? I didn't know and didn't care; his laugh was glorious.

"You don't have to apologize for all." He said still laughing. "It's okay, and you are welcome." He sat up and stretched, "I'm going to eat something, want to come?" He extended his hand to help me up.

"No, I'm not hungry." I said and grabbed my father's hatchet with both hands.

"Okay, see ya' latter" He walked away looking back after a few steps and smiling at me before he completely leaved my view.

I smiled and walked to my house. Maybe this day wasn't that bad after all.

When I entered my house for the back door my eyes drove automatically to the fish basket "Okay, today it's a good day. One more try." I took a fish and leaved to the cove.

I spent the rest of the day watching the fish in the cove, waiting for anything inside to move with my legs crossed and my elbows on my knees, my head resting on my hands. I stopped feeling my legs minutes ago and I was falling asleep.

And still nothing had moved.

I stat up with a numb leg and stretched it, trying to get rid of it. I turned to leave and as soon as I did there were the noise. I didn't even bother to turn fast. The fish was gone. I rubbed my face and leaved.

* * *

Gobber let Asher train today so I asked him of I could take the Manual to my house and "study" there. Since he let me I filled a bag with fish and went to the cove.

Sitting in the border of the stone with my legs crossed I opened the book on my lap and began to see one by one the dragons, I read the descriptions and it's stats trying to find out how the Night Fury could be so fast.

Throwing a fish I waited for the Fury to come out. It didn't. I knew what to do and I did. Returning my eyes to the book the noise came to my ears as other question came to my head, how it knows when I am not watching?

Maybe it _was_ watching me… Discretely I looked over the book feeling uncomfortable with the though. I returned to the Manual and changed the page.

Without watching I threw another fish inside the cove, it didn't touch the floor the weird noise came and then silence.

I changed the page again, the Changewing, what if it can camouflage like the Changewing? It was an acceptable theory. It could be standing by the fish and just waited for me to turn to eat so I don't see a flying fish. May be that's why I couldn't hear his steps but what was that noise anyways?

Done with my theories I sighed, all were so dumb. _Why don't you enter?_ It wasn't a bad idea. That would put an end to this. _I will, but I needed time, more training. That thing can kill me_. I stood up not wanting to think in more stupid things. I emptied the bag into the cove. As I walked to the pathway of the cove I heard the dragon eating but I didn't care to return.


	4. Forbidden Friendship

It had been two weeks since Dad and the others sailed to the nest, autumn had come covering the woods with orange and brown. I hadn't go to the cove in three days, we began to face the Nadder and that only had brought me problems.

Anyways, I kept trying to find something else in the Dragon Manual but had found nothing. I asked Fishlegs to help me "study" and he had been helping me to actually study.

But even with his help I still don't know anything about the Night Fury. Should I ask Gobber?

We entered the arena; it was filled with wooden walls. The gate closed and Gobber appeared above us, outside the arena. We heard a door open and then an angry Nadder jumped to the top of the wall upon us. We stayed quiet, the Nadder began to searched for us and looked down, it roared and we ran to every direction.

Gobber was right; the Nadder ignored me and went for the _more Viking-like._ "Today is all about attack." He called from above.

Taking advantage that the Nadder ignored me I went for Gobber "You know, I just happened to notice that book had nothing on Night Furies. Is there another book? Or a sequel, maybe a little Night Fury pamphlet? AH!" The Nadder blasted the head of my axe -my father's axe- letting a hole behind me. I yelped and ran away, the Nadder ignored me again.

"Focus, Hiccup! You are not even trying." The dragon hopped from wall to wall meanwhile we ran among them. "Nadders are quick and light on their feet. Your job is to be quicker and lighter." Gobber said almost bored. Not big deal, I was quick and light. "Look for its blind spot. Every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it, and strike."

I saw the twins one behind the other just in front of the Nadder but it didn't see them. Guess they find the blind spot. They began to fight and the Nadder saw them and shot.

"Blind spot? Yes. Deaf spot? Not so much." Gobber laughed of his own joke as I reached for him again.

"Hey, so how would one sneak up on a Night Fury?"

"No one's ever met one and lived to tell the tale. Now get in there!" He pointed his finger aggressively to the arena.

"I know, I know, but hypothetically…" I kept talking walking backwards.

"Hiccup!" Asher whispered, he put his finger to his lips. Snotlout at his side gestured for me to hide with them. Asher looked at the Nadder and rolled to the next wall, Snotlout followed him and then I, okay, may be I'm _too_ light. The shield was too heavy for me and I fell, the noise got the Nadder's attention and it shot at me. I ran escaping from the fire with a scream stuck in my throat, passing by Asher and Snotlout's side.

I stopped to catch my breath and wandered to Gobber again, "They probably take the daytime off. You know, like a cat." I looked over my shoulder; the dragon was chasing Asher knocking down a wall in the proses. "Has anyone ever seen one napping?" I asked returning my attention to Gobber.

"Hiccup!" Gobber warned me, I looked back and saw Asher jumping from a wall.

"Hiccup!" He screamed and fell upon me.

Everything went black for a second, probably because I had my eyes closed. When I open them Asher's face was way to close to mine, he had his eyes shutted but open them after he impact realizing as I that we were too close.

He put his hands on the ground by my head and tried to stand up. I felt a pull on my legs and turned to see that our legs were tangled together in a very, _very_ weird position.

His legs were between mines and he began to shake them to try to get off of it as soon as he realized; and I made my best to help.

"Oh! Love in the battlefield!" Tuffnut said, it wasn't time for mockery.

"He could do better." Ruffnut said to her brother, did they know we could hear them?

Asher stood and glared at his axe stuck in my shield; he looked at the Nadder who after getting off of the rest of the walls shook its head and saw us. Asher gasped and tried desperately to pull his axe hurting my arm in the process.

"Ouch… Hey… Wait!" He put a hand in my shoulder and tried to unstock the weapon, the Nadder was getting closer; Asher changed his hand for a foot and pulled harder. I twisted my arm letting him to yank the ax free but still burrowed into my shield. He swung the axe and shield hitting directly at the Nadder's nose. It yelped and scurried off.

"Well done, Asher." Gobber, that had made his way down after the walls fell, put the Nadder back into its cave. Still in the floor I looked up, all the eyes was upon me. I turned to find Asher glaring at me.

"Is this some kind of a joke to you? Our parents' war is about to become ours." He pointed at me with his ax, "Figure out which side you are on." He lowered his arm and leaved; that was rude.

"You _need_ to focus." Gobber grabbed my arm and pulled me up. I did exactly the opposite and didn't listen to what he was telling me while we leaved the arena behind the others. I had my head in other thing, "Are you even listenin' to me?"

"Hum?" I looked at him.

"It seems like not."

"Sorry, I'm just a little distracted."

"A Little?" Gobber raised an eyebrow to me, "That 'little distracted' could have killed you." I blinked twice, trying to process his words; he sighed rubbing his face, "Go to 'enjoy' the silence" He said with a dramatic voice; I smiled a little and rant to the house.

Taking the biggest fish I found and a shield from the wall I opened the back door and was the woods. It's time. I had being waiting for this day and now I was afraid.

* * *

Looking inside the cove I took a deep breath for the tenth time and made my way down with my shield in my back and the fish… well, I needed to tuck it on my belt to use both hands. Hiding between two rocks and putting the shield in front of me for protection I took a few steps forward and threw the fish.

It fell a couple of meters away; the dragon didn't show up. I stick my head out of he rocks and looked for it. It was hided, well… shit.

Stepping forward with the little determination that I had I knocked into my shield. And there it goes my determination. I looked down and saw the shield tucked. Pulling form it to unstock it, it didn't move; I crossed to the other side below it and tried again with the same result. I sighed, why this things always happens to me? Oh, right. Because I have the worst luck among Vikings – by now I am sure that among humanity.

I took the salmon from the ground and looked around, unprotected and only with a dagger as a weapon I kept looking for the dragon with slowly steps. Everything was so quite; just the birds chirping and the waterfall made noises, that and a snort on my back.

Freezing with a gasp I slowly turned, hugging the fish, and saw the Night Fury crouched on a rock, it descended approaching to me; it was ready to pounce.

I swallowed my fears and offered the fish jerking to put it as far away from my body as possible, the Fury got closer and opened its mouth, I stretched more and it hissed at me backing up.

Following the Night Fury's eyes I looked down to me, oh man, I know what it was looking to; I moved my vest a bit and the dagger showed up. I looked at the dragon, its attention were now in my hand. Slowly I took the knife; it snarled, its back arched and it took a better position to pounce, I took back my hand.

Calm down, just take it off.

Carefully I took the dagger for its handle with the tip of my fingers and paused to look at the Night Fury's reaction, it was quiet with an angry scowl directed at my hand. Slowly I lifted it and dropped it at my side.

Its eyes were in the dagger on the floor, it gestured with its head to the pond. I picked the dagger up with my foot and tossed it to the water with a _blop_. The dragon calmed and sat on his haunches, looking me with big rounded eyes, it even looked cute, like a giant, black cat. I tried with the fish again and it approached opening its mouth, then I noticed something, it had no teeth.

"Huh, toothless?" I lowered my hands, looking at the gums on its jaw. "I could've sworn you had-" a set of sharp teeth emerges from its gums to snatch the fish making me yelp and recoil. The Night Fury swallowed it in two bites making that weird sound as the food passed his throat. "teeth…" I finished. Its teeth retracted again as it licked its gums.

The Fury looked at me and got closer with a low growl; nervously I backed up, "Uh, no, no, no." My feet trip over a rock and I fell but continued crawling back, "No, I don't have anymore." I reached a rock; the dragon put me in the same position as days ago. It got closer looking at me with sharp eyes, his eyes rolled back… then he regurgitated a piece of fish onto my lap. "Eww." The dragon sat in front of me and looked me expectant with that big, rounded eyes; I sat and look at the dragon. Now what? I can't scape that's for sure. Nervously I recoiled my knees.

In front of me the dragon looked at the fish on my hands, then at me; I knew what he wanted me to do. I gave the salivated fish a fast look - there was no way I was going to do it – then turned to the Fury, it was waiting. Oh man.

Putting the fish closer to my mouth I looked at the dragon, it was just sitting there, waiting expectantly. "Oh, gods." I mutter and bit the fish; the dragon turned a little its head "Mmm…" I forced a smile and showed it the bite on the salmon.

The Fury gulped, mimicking what I have to do next, like if it where teaching me how to eat. My hands fell on my lap, it got to be kidding, I'm not going to swallow it. The dragon stared me with its big eyes; why was I doing this? I tried to swallow the piece of salmon but it returned from my throat, I put a hand in my mouth not letting me vomit, and swallow it. "Ugh" I shuttered, this is the most disgusting thing I've ever done. The dragon, however, slurped and licked its lips.

I looked up at it and forced a smile. It squinted and inspected me with curiosity and tried to mimic me… wait, was it trying to mimic me? Yes, the Night Fury gave me a gummy smile; it looked weird but cute. Amazed at the dragon behavior I sat up and tried to touch it. It hissed at me and flapped off to the other side of the cove.

Running to see what was it doing I saw it blast a low flame to the ground and curling up on the burned grass. A chirping bird distracted it and I sat at its side. Its ears perked up as the bird flew away to my direction, the dragon lowered its sight and saw me, its ear-flaps lowered as it rolled its eyes and moved to cover his face with his tail. I looked at him and saw something on its tail fin, like if once was other side… I got close, it didn't move; I got closer and stretched my hand. The Fury lifted its tail, his eyes looking directly at me just a few centimeters away from my face; I didn't wait for it to attack me –even when it seems it wasn't going to– I sat up and walked away.

Looking over my shoulder I saw the dragon climbing a tree and hanging on a branch with its tail like a bat. I walked around the cove, waiting for the dragon to wake. Taking a stick I began to play with it like a sword meanwhile walking.

 _What are you_ waiting _? Run now that you have the chance!_ My inner voice told me; and I _did_ want to run, all my instincts told me to but… something a bit stronger that my instincts told me to don't.

Curiosity. That was it. I want to touch it, I want to know why it didn't killed me the first time, why it didn't kill me a minutes ago instead of give me food, why he didn't attacked me when I tried to touch him and just moved away. Why once I didn't had a weapon he relaxed…

There were so many questions that maybe I would never have an answer. I sat on a rock trying to find and explication, I began to hum in a minute as I drew lines with the stick; erasing the lines with my foot I started over, looking at the pink sky -when I was a kid I used to call it the magic our; after the day-blue sky, it turns to some kind of green, then yellow, orange, red, pink and as the sun began to disappear it tuned purple every minute more and more dark till it reach a jet back. I always loved Berk's sunsets.

Making new lines on the sand I began to hum another song, resting my head on my fist and my elbow on my knee and without noticing the lines became the dragon. I kept drawing letting my arm move freely.

Sensing somebody by my side I turned my eyes to see who was it and saw a black mass sitting by me; it was the Night Fury, _well, who else would it be?_ I continued with my draw trying to not scare it off. The dragon purred and moved its head following the stick; it stood and walked away.

The noise of a braking branch made me turn to see what was the dragon doing. The now over joyed Night Fury had an entire sapling in its mouth and began to draw lines in the sand. Amazed and with my jaw dropped, I looked at him while it rushed around me making lines in every direction, what was he even doing?

The Night Fury stopped and turned to me, I stood still, it turned to his draw and put a dot in the sand and then continued making lines; wait, was it… _drawing_ me? The dragon readjusted the sapling on its mouth and walked behind me making circles, it passed by my side hitting my head with the branches in accident.

It stopped and dropped the sapling, nodding at its draw. I stood and tried to see a form in the lines but I was on the middle of them. Moving to have a better perspective I accidentally stepped on one of the lines making the Fury snarl. I moved my foot and it purred. I stepped on it again and it snarled till I put it off. Teasing it I put my foot on it one more time and the Fury now were ready to pounce. I moved my foot but now the threatening snarl didn't stopped, realizing how sensitive it was I put my foot by the line.

The dragon purred again and recovered its posture, I gave him a sweet smile and began to walk stepping carefully between the lines; I began to hum again, continuing the song I started a minutes ago and turned around in circles, looking only at my boots, raising my arms to see better around me and to keep balance. I kept walking around until I made it out.

A hot exhale moved my braid making it fall on my shoulder, I froze and slowly turned to see him just behind me. Once again we were face to face but this time I wasn't afraid.

Our eyes meet for what it seems an eternity and I just could think that… we had meet before, and I didn't meant it like a days ago, like… ages…

My hand reached for him, slowly but without hesitation; he snarled till I stopped and retreated. I looked at my hand for a second, I knew what to do; holding my breath I turned my head away, closed my eyes and extended my arm one more time.

 _What. Are. You. Doing? It can_ kill _you right now!_ No. He didn't kill me when I found him in the woods, he didn't kill me today when I gave him the fish or when I was distracted drawing- _HE?_ It _is a dragon! And_ will _kill you!_ No, he won't. _A dragon always goes for the kill, remember?_ Yes, but… he's different, he won't kill me. _How you know that?_

I didn't want to answer that; it was something about his eyes, about his look that remind me to… me. I didn't knew of he was going to attack me, this could be the end of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III; of all the times I had been with the Night Fury this is the one I had been more vulnerable; he could kill me. But he won't, I could feel it. I knew. I trusted him.

Something wet and warm pressed against my hand and the voice in my head that was screaming to me to run away shut up… forever.

Recoiling a bit and releasing my breath I turned to see the Night Fury purring with his muzzle in my hand. He opened his eyes and looked at me for a moment then snorted and shacked his head before flapping away to the other side of the cove. I didn't go for him, I just stayed there, looking impressed at my hand.


	5. New Tail

Why doesn't he fly?

The question had been hunting me the last week. He was hurt I knew that, it was the only thing I knew actually. That and that he got lots of cuts and scars; some were old but most of them from the ropes of the bola and I could only feel guilty. It was my fault but soon he would get better and fly again… I hopped.

Goober brought us to an abandoned catapult that we never had the time to fix. At the moment he was telling us some old stories of his travels and stuff, nothing I hadn't heard before. I knew them all from memory and I didn't want to listen to them again but I didn't have another option.

"And I saw the look on its face, I was delicious. It must have passed the word, because it wasn't a month before another one of them took my leg." He finished, showing his peg leg. I rolled my eyes, why did he have to be so melodramatic? Well, at least he's not telling the one of the Boneknapper.

They don't exist anymore and I was pretty sure Gobber never saw one.

"Isn't it weird to think that your hand was inside a dragon? Like, if your mind was still in control of it you could have killed the dragon from the inside by crushing his heart or something." All of them stared at Fishlegs, all except for me. If someone had tolerated my talks on how my weapons worked, it was Fishlegs; even Gobber can't stand that. He didn't judge me, I don't judge him.

"I swear I'm so angry right now," Snotlout said; here we go. "I'll avenge your beautiful hand _and_ your beautiful foot. I'll chop off the legs of every dragon I fight, with my face." _Don't worry, seeing your face will be enough to kill them_ I joked silently with myself. I couldn't manage to suppress a little smile so I looked at my boots to hide it.

"No," Gobber corrected him ripping out a wing from the chicken he was eating. "It's the wings and the tail you really want. If it can't fly, it can't get away." He shook the wing around, "A downed dragon is a dead dragon."

My smile disappeared. The tail… _his_ tail. It wasn't a one-side tail (why would a dragon have a one sided tail? It would fall!), I ripped off the other side! I kept looking down, trying to hide my horrified look. It was my fault – it always was but this was worse than I thought!

"Alright! I'm off to bed, and you should be too. Tomorrow we get to the big boys. Slowly but surely making our way up to the Monstrous Nightmare. But who will win the honor of killing it?" Gobber said uncannily and leaved the tower.

"It's gonna be me." Tuffnut said confident and laid back as soon as Gobber wasn't on sight. "It's my destiny, see?" He rolled up his sleeve, showing a red dragon tattoo on his left shoulder.

Fishlegs gasped, "Your mom let you get a tattoo?"

"It's not a tattoo, it's a birthmark." Tuffnut said irritated.

"I have been stuck with you since birth and that was never there before." His twin scoffed.

"It was! You've never see me from the left side until now." I rolled my eyes and stood up letting my half-fish by the fire; I got better things to do than discuss over Tuffnut's tattoo. I walked to my house, wondering if I could find a way to make the dragon fly again…

"Hiccup!" Gobber yelled when I passed by the smith pushing me out of my thoughts. "Didn't I tell you to pick up all this mess?"

"Uh… no."

"Yea, I told you to pick up your things."

What? I got closer to the entrance checking if any of those were mine. "Okay, first of all: you didn't tell me anything, and second: these things are yours." I gestured at the things on the table and the floor. "You just don't want to clean it up and make me clean it up for you." He wasn't going to fool me again; I was not cleaning _his_ mess.

Gobber stared at me for a second "Clean it." And he passed by my side without saying another word.

"What? No!" It had no sense to argue, he was already gone. "Agh!" I entered the smith and grabbed a wooden box, beginning to fill it with tools. I stopped when the box was almost full and looked at it. Why was I doing this? I dropped the box on the table and turned.

"If he wants it clean in here he will have to clean it by him-ah!" I fell taking down tools and unfinished weapons with me. I eyed what took me down: Gobber's hammer. "You, you son of a half-troll." I muttered and got up carrying the hammer with both hands. "And tell me, Gobber, how is this mine?" I put it on its place.

If he had a place for each one of his prosthetics why he never put them there? That's why I made the stupid thing!

I turned ready to leave. No, I couldn't.

The place was a disaster and now it _was_ my fault. I kneel and began to pick up what I had taken down. I was almost done when a thought shocked me: a prosthetic.

Running to my little room on the back of the blacksmith I took out a big sheet of paper and moved all the models and old planes for weapons and machines off my desk and roll out the paper to draw on it. This would probably take me all the night but with this the Night Fury would be able to fly again.

* * *

I entered my house and put my back on the door with a sigh. My eyes stopped on my room; maybe I still had time to sleep a little. No. I needed to see if the tail works before I get busy with training. I took the fish basket; I would need something to distract him while I put the tail on its place. He didn't like me to get close to his tail.

* * *

"Buddy!" I shout without fear of someone – besides the Fury – hearing me. We were far from the village and if they didn't hear his roar when we first met in the woods they couldn't hear me in the cove.

The Night Fury head popped out behind the rocks he likes to hide in, he went after me jumping, happy to see me.

"I brought breakfast, I hope you're hungry!" I put the basket on the ground and kicked it down; the fish spread making a slimy noise. "Okay, that's disgusting." Clearly it wasn't for the dragon, his face lighted up – I don't think he'd seen that much fish in a long time.

The Fury gestured to me, then to the fish. "No, it's all yours." He turned his concentration to the pile to examine it. "Uh… I brought some salmon, some Iceland cod," Could he understand me? I sigh, probably not. Anyways I doubt that he knew about species, for him probably everything was just fish.

I kept talking anyways; it feels good to have someone who listens once a while. "And a whole smoked eel." The dragon backed up snarling making me stop talking, had he understood me? I took the eel with my fingertips, "Ugh." I hate this things, they taste horrible and why they have to be so slimy? I raised it the farthest away from me as possible.

The dragon roared, starting to freak out, and backed up showing his teeth. "No, no, no, no, no! It's okay!" I threw the ell to the water; he snorted and calmed down a little. "Yeah, I don't like eel so much either." I said taking off the slimy sensation from my hand with my vest.

He looked at the bunch of fish, growling at it. "Don't worry, it was the only one." He sniffed, searching for the eels but like I said, there was only one. "Dad is the one that likes eels, I just bought one." I assured him and moved the fishes with my foot spreading it more on the grass until no fish was over other.

The black-scaled dragon squinted his eyes and inspected me, then the fish in a second he began to swallow it in two bites without hesitation making that weird sound as he swallow. "That's it, just stick with the good stuff." I looked at his tail and slowly walked toward it. "And don't mind me. I'll just be back here, minding my own business." With a last look at the dragon I kneeled and put the prosthetic by his tail; this better be the same size.

I put the tail closer to him but he moved away, turning in panic I saw that the dragon was still distracted but not for much longer, he almost ate all the food. I pushed the tail closer and he moved again; I sighed as I made another try, this time he growled and lifted his tail. "Calm down, it's okay." I patted his tail to the ground and tried it one more time but now he began to move his tail side to side. Grunting I grabbed it trying to keep it still but I failed miserably; I sat on his tail frustrated – if he moves, he moves with me - and finally put the prosthetic on place pulling the straps to make sure it won't fail.

The Night Fury moved his fin – like if testing it – and opened it, finally someone was cooperating! I opened mine to size comparison. "It's not too bad," I said in approval crossing one arm and with the other on my chin, "a little bigger but it will work. Wow!" I felt something suddenly pulling me back, the last thing I saw before closing my eyes was the ground getting farther away. "Nooo! Put me down!" I hugged his tail with arms and legs, I didn't want to fly but neither fell.

Ironically, we began to fall; he didn't have control of the flight. I didn't understand: he had his tail! What was wrong? I opened my eyes a little and saw the problem just in front of me: the tail I made was flapping with the wind.

Having no other option I swallowed my gears and freed a hand to jerk the fin open. The tail cached the air taking us up before we crashed on the other side of the cove.

"Oh my- it's working!" We were in the air, flying above the trees. I twisted the tail changing the Fury's direction to lead us back to the cove. "YES, I did it!" I looked at the prosthetic more than proud.

As soon as we reached the pond the dragon tossed me away. I sank, the water was cold but at the moment I didn't care. I swam to the surface, throwing my fists to the air. "Yeah!" With my arms up I went down again so I used them to keep me in the surface; I may not be good swimmer, actually I don't know how to swim, but I can get me not to drown.

Without me the dragon had fallen into the pond as well and now he was swimming to land. I laughed and moved my arms in a pathetic try to swim but it worked, at least I was now on land.

This was the best thing that happened on the week and I couldn't stop laughing. The night without sleep was worth it.

But now I was freezing; I decided that the wet clothes didn't help and took them off. I gaze at the Fury with a smile on my face "Hey bu-" he was examining the prosthetic; he sniffed it and opened his fin.

My smile faded; I could perfectly see the sadness reflected on his eyes. He closed and opened the fin again but the result was the same: the prosthetic didn't move, it was just… there. I got close to the dragon; he heard me and turned his head.

"Don't worry." A cold breeze blew in the cove and I hugged trying to keep warm "You will fly again." The Night Fury lifted his ears, the surprise and confusion so clear in his eyes. He was really playing attention to me; he understood what I was saying. "I'll find a way, I promise." I said more firmly now. He seemed really surprised; I didn't know if for the tone of my voice or for what I said. Either way I was surprised too.

I was going to help a dragon.

A dragon that the only good thing that he had done to me was not killing me. That and listen to me, well, if you can call that listen. The whole past week I had been speaking out loud while trying to see his scars but he didn't let me touch him a lot and I thought he wasn't playing attention, that was why it was so easy to speak to him, he just listened. Wow, he _was_ listening, he _could_ understand me; even when I think he was trying to ignore me, most likely.

The Night Fury looked at his tail again, thinking. He made a conclusion and lay down gesturing with his head to me to do the same. I sat and to my surprise he moved closer. He put himself in the same position he puts when he's about to nap but now I was on the center of his little circle. I felt his heat on my skin; it was like a soft, warm hug.

He gestured at his tail letting out a soft purr and looking me at the eyes with his big rounded ones, somehow I understood he was saying _thank you._

"Uh… you're welcome?" He nodded and laid his head by my side closing his eyes in silent. Did he really mean 'thank you'?

Slowly I put my hand over his head to pet him. I was expecting a growl or any aggressive gesture in return but I got a purr instead. A few days ago he didn't want me to touch him and now he was napping around me, giving me heat, and he was totally okay with this. I relaxed and laid my arm on his head and my body on his neck, scratching his forehead.

"The unholy off spring of lighting and death itself… you are not what I thought." The dragon raised his ears-flaps listening to me. "Hey, do you have a name?" I asked him, he raised his head and looked at me, curious. "I want to give you a name." he turned his head to one side "What do you think about 'Toothless'?" I asked remembering his smile.

His face turned to pure disgust and indignation; I laughed at his reaction, he snarled showing me his teeth, I could almost heard him say _'I'm not toothless'_ which made it even more funny.

"I know you are not toothless… it's because you can retract them." I said pointing at his mouth to see if he calmed down with that. He tilted his head and looked away for a few seconds then turned to me and opened his jaw. I pulled my arms to my chest and froze; a wet, warm, rough thing rasped over my face then leaved leaving a weird feeling on my face. Slowly I opened my eyes and drew my hand to my face, I looked at it and a thread of saliva followed it.

Saliva? Did he just…? I looked at him, he seemed very pleased with himself; yes, it was saliva. I stood, walked to the pond and sat back on my heels to wash myself. I looked at my reflection: my face was covered in his spittle and my bangs were standing straight up; Toothless joined my reflection, looking at mine then at his, did he realized that we have the same eyes?

He crouched and curiously extended a paw and tapped the water, making little waves. The dragon stared at them and tapped the water again but harder, the water splashed and waved. A childish smile appeared on his face as he exited drummed with his front legs.

I let him play with the water as I washed my face; I heard something moving behind me, I turned and saw his tail wrapping around me, turning again to Toothless I noticed that he was still playing. I allowed a smile in my face knowing that it had been subconsciously and returned to wash my face.

The Night Fury watched me curiously as I splashed water one more time to my face, why don't this get off? Toothless then plunged his wing into the water and dumped a huge amount of water all over me. "No! Agh, Toothless!" I scram as I got soaked in cold water again and jumped back to my feet.

Shaking off the water I gave him a sulked look that he responded with a gummy smile then he got close to my face and sniffed me. "Don't dare to lick me again." I warned him with a finger up. He hesitated before gave me a little lick on my check. I smiled. "Okay then." I gave him a scratch on his forehead and sat down on dry grass.

Toothless lay on the floor again and put his head on my lap. I scratched him softly and moved to stretch my folded legs under him. After a few minutes I crossed my arms over his head and put my chin over them.

"You know, you're not like the others…" I got a curious sound in response but he didn't moved, "In training I mean, well, in everything." I laughed softly, "They attack, they don't stop to think like you." Toothless made a worried sound. "Maybe they would if we give them the chance…" I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

My eyes opened slowly, I was still on the cove with Toothless on my lap. My legs were sleep. I stretched my arms and the movement woke Toothless up; he looked at me with sleepy eyes, I smiled at him and let myself fall back and looked at the sky: the sun was rising. When I got here it was just dawn and every one was asleep.

Training was going to begin soon and I should go but I didn't want to, I wanted to stay here with Toothless. I lifted my head and rested on my shoulder to look at him remembering what I said before I fall sleep.

"Maybe I should use what I learn form you in the ring." We kept staring at each other for a little bit before I made act to stand and he moved to let me. Still thinking in the subject I put on my now dried clothes. Do other dragons hate eels too or it was just he?

I searched for the eel and hided it on my vest; Toothless growled when he saw me pulling it out of the water, "Don't worry, not eels next time." I passed by his side and patted his head, "I need to do but I'll come back later, okay?" Toothless purred and pressed his snout into my hand.

* * *

"Okay, let's get started." Gobber said once we where all in the ring. "Take a bucket and choose a partner, today it's about teamwork." We changed our weapons for buckets filled with water that were heavier than my ax and got in teams; I went with Fishlegs since he's the only one who actually liked me.

Gobber opened a big gate and a heavy cloud of smoke came out, covering us. I could almost feel the tension as the fog took more and more room. By now I could only see Fishlegs at my side.

"Now, a wet dragon head can't light its fire. The Hideous Zippleback is extra tricky. One head breathes gas, the other head lights it. Your job is to know which is which." We could only heard Gobber voice coming from somewhere in the fog. I gulped and took a better grip on the bucket, positioning it to throw. Why does it have to be a Zippleback? I can't even handle a one-headed dragon.

I watched and listened for any sigh of the dragon, making circles in the same place with Fishlegs at my back.

"Razor, sharp, serrated teeth that inject venom for pre-digestion." Fishlegs began to mutter to himself, does he really find that comforting? "Prefers ambush attack, crushing its victims in its-"

"Could you please stop that!" I whispered, I didn't like to be rude with him but for Odin's shake, he was freaking me out!

We couldn't see each other's but we could listen. Snotlout was close to us; I think he was with Tuffnut. He was nervous, it was obvious in his voice; I think we all are, with the lack of vision we have.

"If that dragon shows either of its faces I'm gonna- there!"

"Hey!" Asher yelled angry. The fog began to clear up and now we could see the others. We weren't as far as I thought.

"It's us, idiots." Ruffnut said as soaked as Asher.

"Your but is betting bigger. We thought you were a dragon." Her brother laughed.

"Not that there's anything wrong with a dragon-esque figure." Snotlout flirted with her. I rolled my eyes wishing for someone to hit them. Asher let go off the bucket and punched Snotlout in the face. Tuffnut laughed before he got smacked in the face by Ruffnut's bucket. I didn't try to reprise my smile… wait, why could I see them perfectly? I looked around; the fog was almost gone.

"Where's the dragon?" I muttered more to myself. Something pulled Tuffnut inside the fog; he disappeared of our sight with a scream.

"Wait." Asher stopped Ruffnut from going after her brother; a tail swiped taking her and Asher down and spilling his water.

Tuffnut ran out of the fog, "Oh! I'm hurt! I'm very much hurt!" he passed by our side, stepping over his sister.

"Chances of survival are dwindling into single digits now." Fishlegs said and he was right, we where the only ones left with buckets; the others having nothing to defense themselves had gone back with Gobber.

A gurgling head emerged out and we backed up. Thankfully, the dragon's head went after Fishlegs, I had frozen hugging the bucket. Fishlegs hurled the water at it; the head opened its mouth spewing gas and growling, "Oh, wrong head."

The Zippleback head belched gas at Fishlegs, "Fishlegs!" Gobber yelled and the boy ran in panic. Why… then I remembered: the Zippleback's gas was poisonous. I gulped; dragon training was worse than I ever thought. Who was the knucklehead who thought that put a bunch of kids in a pit full of dangerous dragon was a good idea?

There was no more fog, letting me see the whole dragon; it was bigger than the others. The other head sparkled close to me before it extended its neck up and looked me from above. "Now, Hiccup!" I hurled the water at the sparking head but it was way too tall for me.

"Oh, come on!" The water even got close to it. I kept my arms up with the bucket over my head; the dragon's heads moved down to my size, moving around like they were snakes; the heads looked at each other and with a grin turned to me.

"Run, Hiccup!" Gobber screamed. The dragon shrieked opening its wings to intimidate me. It worked; I fell back dropping the bucked and crawling back in panic. "HICCUP!" Gobber's voice finally woke me up from my shock and I was ready to run but something stopped me; the dragon wasn't attacking me, it was thinking.

The Zippleback sniffed the air then retracted the decision to eat me. Following its gaze I looked to my left shoulder, I had forgotten the eel inside my vest. I opened it a bit and the dragon hissed in terror; I stood slowly and held my hands out as I was controlling him. "Back! Back! Back!" I got closer and the dragon backed away from the eel, in the others' perspective, from me. "Don't make tell you again!" the dragon reached the door of its pen "Yes, that's right. Back to your cage." I stealthily opened my vest and threw the eel inside. "Now think about what you've done." I closed the doors and turned cleaning my hands on my vest; man, I hate eels, the slime never wants to get off.

I slower my motions as I saw Gobber and the other teens staring at me, jaw dropped; Fishlegs' bucket that he had been hugging fell letting his arms hugging the air.

"Okay, so are we done? 'Cause I've some things I need to… yep, see you tomorrow!" I passed awkwardly to their side and ran through the village, stopping only at my house to take my sketchbook, then into the forest.

* * *

"It was awesome! You should have seen their faces!" I didn't bother to say 'hi' to Toothless, he looked at me with a question on his face, "Dragon Training." I shortly explained and sat by his side. "We faced a Hideous Zippleback," I doubt he know we call them like that but I was too excited to explain that. "I used the eel, he backed away instantly and I put him again in his cage-" Toothless interrupted me with an angry noise. "What?" He stood up and pushed me with his head, "Hey!" I stood up.

Toothless snorted, he was angry. "What?" He pointed to the village's direction with his head. "I don't… the Zippleback?" He nodded. Now at least I knew what he was talking about but, "What's wrong with it? He." I corrected myself, "I think it's a he." He roared at me, I knew he was trying but I still didn't understand.

I thought about what I told him, what would have bother him? "The eel?" He nodded again; they didn't like it and I had enclosed that dragon with one. "I'm sorry, he was attacking me." I tried to explain but the only thing I got in response was a sarcastic look. "What did you want me to do? Let him eat me?" He rolled his eyes and looked away. "Hey! I am talking to you." I walked trying to stay in front of him but he kept turning and sitting, giving me his back.

I sighed. "Buddy, come on." He turned to snarl at me and looked away again. "If it makes you feel better I'm going to take back that eel." Toothless looked over his wing and examined me up and down and narrowed his eyes when he stopped at my face. He stood after a few seconds and pushed me again with his head. Did he really think I was doing to do that? It was just to calm him down!

"Wait, wait, wait! I can't go now!" he looked at me with confused eyes. "They will se me!" he pushed me anyways to exit the cove. "Hey, buddy, stop- stop pushing me." I struggled with his head and fell on my butt.

Toothless tried to push me up but I rolled to the side and ended up on my knees, extending my hands to stop him. "Look, I can't go now." I said slowly, "But I'll go in the middle of the night when no one can see me. Okay?" the dragon sat and looked away, considering the idea, then looked at me and nodded. I sighed.

"Anyways, we have job to do." I opened my vest and took out my book from my belt; Toothless got closer to see the drawings as I turned the pages. "You can't fly by your own, this is gonna be a team work and I'm _not_ gonna fly on your tail again, so…" I stopped in a blank page, "We need something to keep me onto you."

* * *

This day was going too well: I nailed it in Dragon Training, designed a saddle with Toothless help – he was more intelligent that I thought - and took a long nap with him. Of course when I left he reminded me that I needed to take the eel from the Zippleback's cage. Why was I even doing this? I could simply tell him that I did and he won't know the difference.

Looking around to see if anyone was close I ran across the bridge that lead to the training fields. Good thing I have light feet, that way the wood didn't creak with every step. I took a deep breath before opening the gate into the arena; I had to put all my weight in the lever before it started to open.

As soon as the gate cracked open the dragons woke up and began to scratch and hit their doors, except one. I forced myself to calm down and walked to the quite cage, slowly taking the fish from my satchel.

The arena was barely illuminated by the moon; we don't worry about put torches because who would come here at night? To a hole… full of dragons… feral dragons… that want to kill you. My breath and heart began to speed up and I could swear that the dragons could hear that because they began to hit harder.

A lout thud from the Gronckle cage made me scream and jerked back my arms, hugging the fish. _Calm down, Hiccup, they are locked._ I took a deep breath and released it slowly noticing that I was shaking.

The dragons had stooped making noises and the arena was way too quiet for my taste. I bit my lower lip and turned looking at the door, searching for the one with the Zippleback in it. All the cages were silent, I could hardly tell which was the right one.

They are almost all the same: two doors with a lever at their side and on top, outside the arena, and a big trunk kept them close. Anyways, it wasn't difficult to know which was which if you had seen them before.

In front of me, at the center, was the Monstrous Nightmare's; it was the only one with a vertical trunk… I had never seen it open. When the previous generation were in training I was eight years old so I sailed East to Flashburn's school of sword fighting (that decades ago stopped being just sword fighting) to learn to fight with any kind of weapon and even things that weren't weapons.

At my left are the Gronckle's and Nadder's cages, I had seen them get out of those doors to know. The Gronckle's doors formed an oval shape and the Nadder's was like a rectangle with a triangle on the top.

At my right is the Terrible Terror's whose door looked like a rectangle; the doors were enormous for such a little thing, and at the bottom, a little entrance the proper size. There, between the Terror's and the Nightmare's was the Hideous Zippleback's with rectangular doors with a concave tops.

I breathe in again and went to the lever raising my hands and pulling with all the little strength I had. The door cracked open but the dragon didn't came out, not even fog. I looked around for the eel ad walked slowly to it.

The two-headed dragon hissed when I stepped on the cave and I stopped looking at the eel just a few steps from me. Why did I throw it that far? I gave another step but the hiss turned into a growl. He surely remembered me.

I extended the fish. "I brought you food." I said almost in a whisper. I cleared my throat and spoke again, "I'm sorry about the eel, I- I'm just gonna take it, okay? I don't want to hurt you." Slowly I walked forward, took the eel from the floor and leaved the fish, instantly stepping back, leaving the cave expecting for the dragon to come out furious. But it didn't.

Then I realized it, he was afraid. Of me! That should make me happy, but it didn't, it broke my heart. I didn't want them to fear me, I should, I knew, how was I going to survive in Berk if they don't? But Toothless is my friend… he is my _friend_. Dragons could be friendly, playful and they were intelligent creatures. They were raiding us, that were true, but there should be an explication, a reason.

"Hey, it's okay." I threw the eel away. "It's just fish," I entered the dark cave and took the fish holding it up of the tail so he could see it. "See? I brought another." I took other fish from the satchel and raised it high like the other. "One for each of you." I didn't know if it has one stomach of two but there are two heads and two brains, even when they are one body they're two at the same time. Did that even make sense?

The dragon grumbled and a wavering head came out of the dark, looking at he fish curiously. I smiled and extended my arm at it. The head looked me with suspicious eyes, and my smile faded a bit but I wasn't afraid, those eyes were the same eyes that looked at me this morning when I said that I was going to come. Just as Toothless he was just making sure that what I said was the truth.

The Zippleback shook it's head to one side and the other head came out, looking at the fish. I extended my other arm to it and began to slowly back up to the light of the moon and away form the cave.

Both heads gazed at each other, then to me, then to some point behind me before they began to growl. Was someone behind me? The image of myself with my arms up to the Zippleback with fishes on my hands made a lump appear in my throat. I swallow hard, trying to make it disappear as I though in an excuse for the weird scene. Slowly I turned a little and looked over my shoulder. There was no one there, what was the dragon-

The fish were snatched from me. I yelped and jumped back with my hands pulled back to my chest. I looked at the two heads a little afraid but relaxed in a second after watching them enjoying the fish. They looked at me and sniffed, their eyes moved to the satchel. I took out another fish. "It's just one." I explained looking to a head then to another, they exchanged a look and without warning raced for the fish in my hand.

Not knowing what to do I tossed the fish to the air and recoiled my hand. Both heads cached the fish in midair; one head for the tail and one for the head and began to fight for it. The fish ended ripping apart giving each head a part.

They look at me with playful eyes, great: I fed them now they want to play.

"I can't. I have to go." They purred sadly. "Return to your cage." I jerked my hands and made the same movements that I did this morning, just without the eel to help me. The dragon backed anyways and I closed one door. The Zippleback looked at me from the other door, watching every movement. "Uh, I may see you tomorrow, so don't kill me please." The dragon shook its heads. "And don't play with me either, that would seems suspicious and they will know I fed you, that must be a secret." I said putting my finger in my lips.

The dragon nodded and I extended my hand to the closer head to pet him, the other head quickly got close to be petted too. I petted and scratched them for a while then I closed the door and pushed the lever up, whish was difficult.

I turned looking at the empty arena, well, now that I looked right it wasn't empty; the wooden barricades were on the wall with the shields and the shields, and buckets from this morning were still scattered on the floor with something metal. It was shining in the moonlight so it took me a moment to recognize it as my father's axe – I needed to fix it after that Nadder blasted it – I left it here that morning, I didn't even remember bringing it.

I grabbed it and was shocked when I only had to use one hand. It wasn't heavy anymore. I had to double check it to make sure that it was indeed my father's axe- well, I guess it was mine now. I smiled and leaved the ring, closing the gate behind me; when I fixed it I made sure to kept the same weight for when my father came back, men, I was getting stronger.

I made my way home without caring if someone saw me; even though by now every one was leaving the Mead Hall and the whole village, or at least those who stayed on Berk, could see me. They probably would be too drunk to notice me and if they did they wouldn't remember.

"Hiccup?" Asher voice stopped me, great.

"Hi, Asher." I said casually, trying to distract him but he turned his eyes to my back in the ring direction.

"What were you doing there?" He asked crossing his arms over his chest and straightening his back in a dominant position. He was also taller than me and the didn't helped.

"I… I forgot my axe." I said showing him the axe; it was a good excuse.

"Couldn't you wait until tomorrow?" He said suspicious, even when I didn't know of what.

"No, because… I need to sharpen it." I looked at the axe and inspect it as I made a face like if I had found a problem in the wedge even when it was perfect. I did it myself so of course it was.

"And you need to do it now? It's almost midnight-"

"What? I can't take of my father's axe properly?" I cut him off. "It is mine after all." I looked at hi with hatred in my eyes, since when did he cares? "Good night." I said bitterly and leaved to the blacksmith with the axe in one hand.

Was it because I beat him in Training today? If there was anything I knew about Asher was that he was a very competitive. And he probably always seen me like nothing on his way to win but today I did something anyone had ever done before.

Now I _was_ in his way and even when I didn't wanted to kill the Nightmare, not anymore, I wanted to shoe them. Show then what I was able to do, shoe them that I was not afraid.

I reached the smith and dropped the axe and satchel on the table. I opened my sketchbook onto the designs of Toothless' saddle; it was super simple but it was going to be confortable for him and for me.

The eel was just one thing I learned with Toothless, I had the feeling that I was going to learn more about dragons, things that no one else has ever knew because no one had ever try to befriend one. And I was going to use that, I was going to use that and prove to everyone that I wasn't fragile.


	6. Test Flight

The sound of a snore made me snap my head up; looking around my room I understood that I was still alone in the house. My head fell on the pillow, I was not sleepy anymore but I didn't want to wake up.

Raising my head again I looked at the room's door like if I could see beyond it, through the stairs and the main door and look outside. There were a lot of noise and movement.

What time was it? My gaze turned to the closed window, the sun passed through the wooden planks. My stomach answered me: it was late. I groaned burying my face in the pillow; after a minute I stood up with a sigh.

The window cracked when I opened it. The light outside blinded me till my eyes adjusted; it was a beautiful day: the sky was clear, the sun shined on top of the sky, the air was cold but the warmth of the sun makes you forget it. I closed my eyes and rested my elbows on the window, feeling the sun on my skin and the wind on my cheeks.

The feeling reminded me to something: today was the big day.

I looked at the forest with a smile because I knew that Toothless was waiting. I shouldn't make him wait but he surely understands that I had other things to do, like sleep.

Gobber gave us the day and since I had spent the days in the ring and the cove and I studied with Fishlegs when I was back and I passed the night at the smith working on the saddle I didn't had much time to sleep. Sure, I napped with Toothless in the cove but I hadn't sleep so well since long ago.

My hunger leaded me downstairs. I didn't bother to put on my pants or my boots, who cares? I was alone. I headed to the kitchen with my stomach grumbling, I gave the food a look, did I really want to test my stomach while flying? I was hungry but I didn't want to throw up.

I opted for just making eggs so I made my breakfast – or lunch or whatever this counted as – as I tried to ignore the noise from outside. I was tempted to give a sneak peek but I knew that if I opened that door hell would broke lose.

May be use what I learned from Toothless in Training was a bad idea; I could no longer go to the forest unnoticed like I always did, now I couldn't walk for the village without being followed and questioned about Training.

I wanted to stop but it was impossible for me to don't try. The good thing was that I didn't just improved on Training; I had made a saddle with pedals for the new mechanism for the tail and a vest with harness for me so I won't fall again.

The bad thing was that Asher was more than mad at me – at least he noticed me now, not in the way I wanted but – a few days ago while training with a Terrible Terror Tuffnut said that I was better than Asher _ever_ were. That afternoon he almost discovered me carrying Toothless' tail fin wrapped in the saddle on my way to the cove.

Anyways, we'd already checked the pedals positions and continued practicing tied to a tree trunk on a cliff. That place was perfect, the winds were as hard as I though they would be on the air so they helped us o simulate a flight. And of course, bad thighs happens, well, it's me who we are talking about; the rope that attached us to the trunk snapped and we fell back getting me stuck with Toothless and, again, Asher almost cached me, now in the blacksmith… tied to Toothless.

But after all the struggles we were finally testing the fin.

* * *

"Hey, Toothless." I sang, his head snapped out and he ran for me taking me down and licking me, "No, Toothless, that's gross." I laughed and took him off. He gave a step back moving his tail side to side.

Toothless sniffed the air and looked at the big bag that now where on the floor and pushed it with his nose to me. I didn't know why but dragons are very special with food, every time I had bring him food he waits for me to eat first or to give him permission to.

I opened the bag and took a fish from the tail, "Just one, the rest is after the flight," the dragon took it from my hand with more kindness he did the first time. "Now, go for the saddle." Toothless raced for the hidden saddle and harness and brought it to me.

He had the fin already on; I didn't want to take it off. The saddle bothers him a bit so I had been taking it off after our training. I put on my harness first, then kneeled and proceeded with Toothless.

This time I didn't need to chase for him to put the saddle on. He stood still – if you don't count the thrilled shivering – while I set the saddle on its place.

I took a deep breathe before looking up at Toothless, "Are you ready, bud?" He shook his body ready for fly, "Okay." I whispered giving me courage and standing up.

Toothless slowly opened his wings as I hoped to the saddle and secured the harness; I felt his muscles tense, he didn't need an order to take flight or at least he didn't waited for one; he took us up with the _clink_ noise of the harness.

My heart was beating faster than ever, adrenaline already rushing on my veins. Toothless stopped beating his wings and we soared with the clouds. I looked down to see how high where we. Bad idea. The ground was miles away and my food was trying to make its way up from my stomach; I swallowed hard in a try to put it in its place. I had never been afraid of heights and not of flying anymore; falling to my death? Maybe a little.

A strong airstream made me lose my balance for a bit, I returned to my position knowing that this was not going to me like our training in the cliff.

"Okay bud, we're gonna take this nice and slow." I pat him on the neck, giving him courage that he didn't need; he had waited for this for _too_ long.

I checked my notes with the positions, "Position three- no, four." I changed the pedal and looked back to the tail making sure it shifted. Toothless moved his shoulders, more than ready. We twisted to the left in a smooth move. I inspected the harness, pulling from it and making sure it still on its place.

Under us were a lots of rock formations where we could perfectly practice. The bigger one, an arched stone, got my attention. "Alright, it's go time. It's go time." I tucked tight to his neck and pushed my weigh forward, Toothless understood the move and drove us down gaining speed, "Come on buddy. Come on buddy!"

Changing positions with a little clumsiness and turning almost every second trying to match the prosthetic with Toothless' fin we zipped trough the arch in perfect maneuver. "Yes, it worked!" The beauty of the scene distracted me, I though this things where smaller. I returned my gaze forward only to see a stone in front of us.

Toothless growled with the crash, "I'm sorry." I pulled from the saddle but lead us to another stone; the dragon growled again, "That's my fault," he hissed and hit me with his ear-flap- I almost could hear his _'pay attention'._

"Agh! Yeah, I'm on it." I rubbed my face. "Position four, uh, three." I twisted my feet and drew my body closer to his as we climbed up, and up, and up. We were reaching the clouds. I looked down without fear as a new sensation put away the vertigo on my stomach and filled my chest; I could explode at any moment.

I could see the whole island below us, we were way to high and _I_ wanted more, "Yeah! Go, baby!" I screamed, not containing the feeling on my chest anymore. Toothless seemed to be enjoying this as much as I was. The ferocious dragon had his tongue out, flapping with the wind.

"Oh, this is amazing! The wind in my-" My notes hit me on the face and flew free on the air, panic got me. "Cheat sheet! STOP!" Frenetically I reached for the paper feeling a new lightness on my body, now _I_ was floating free on the air; my scream had made Toothless suddenly stop the climbing. I looked at him and saw my own fear reflected on his face; we floated for a second looking at each other without knowing what to do, in the next second Toothless roared and I screamed in complete terror as we were falling to our ends without control.

"Oh, gosh! Oh, gods! Oh, no!" I turned my gaze to Toothless who was watching me with terrified eyes. "All right, Okay." Think fast, _think fast!_ Okay, I need to get to the saddle again, how? "You've just gotta kind of angle yourself." My voice was shaking but I tried to sound sure of it and do it myself; it wasn't easy but I got to be upside down extending my arms and legs a little so I would not turn. "Come back down towards me, no, no." He was spinning without control; he was a dragon, fly was their instinct but everything he knew about flying would not serve him anymore, not without a fin of his own.

I tried to get close, "Come back down- Ow!" Toothless wing snapped me on the face sending me away. The good part of it was that he was now below me, but whatever that kept us in the ground was taking him down faster.

Toothless looked up at me, terrified. He screamed not for his life, I realized, if not for mine. My breath completely stopped. Something hit my chest from the inside, something that wanted to get out and hug Toothless and tell him everything was going to be all right.

That feeling needed to be kept inside; if it got out I would began to cry and I _knew_ that I couldn't delete it. But I could make something better with it.

I took the sheet with my teeth and put my arms and legs together, positioning myself with my head down; I gained speed fast and soon I was close enough to Toothless to jerk my arms to reach the saddle and pulled me on. I put my feet on the pedals and secured the harness before pulling the saddle up forcing Toothless to open his wings.

Toothless shrieked as we nearly touch the treetops; Toothless' wings were fully open trying to stop us, it must hurt. Looking forward I found a new problem: a maze course of jutting sea stacks drowning in fog. I grabbed the sheet off my teeth in a failed attempt to check the positions. The wind made it flap violently making it impossible to read.

We were getting closer, there was no time to think; I tossed the paper away. Don't letting the panic got one me again I stuck to Toothless body and let instincts and adrenaline on my veins do the work.

We raced trough the rock stacks, going left and right, changing pedals without noticing and knowing where to go without even need to tell Toothless or he pointing at me. Toothless made a spin – we made a spin- and I had no idea of how I did to not fall.

It was a weird feeling, I just… knew. I knew where to go, to what position change the pedals; the stacks were passing like a blur by my side and I could barely focus anything ahead but I just _knew_.

The fog was gone; the stacks were gone. We had passed and we were alive; I raised my breath and tried to catch it again, we were _alive_ , "YEAH!" I screamed lifting my fists to the air and letting out the weight on my chest.

The happy Night Fury below me launched a fireball that explode just ahead us, he didn't made any attempt to move, "Oh, come on!" my arms fainted a little, he let out his tongue and closed his eyes, overjoyed.

I tried to cover my face from the flames as we passed trough them, they didn't let any burn on my skin but my clothes and hair didn't had the same luck. I sighed and stood up on the pedals, leaning forward to look at Toothless' face.

He looked up and let out a slightly laugh, "What? You think is funny?" the dragon grinned, "Yes, you do." I said with a sigh and sat again, "Well, it's not for me, now I have to explain my burned shirt." Toothless laughed, more than clear that he didn't care.

"Are you hungry?" I asked knowing that was something that he _did_ care. He let out a sound that I had identify as a _yes_ days ago. "Okay, lets go to the cove." I changed the pedals and turned to the cove.

It didn't took us long to reach the place. I changed pedals to land, Toothless had other thing in mind and took the bag on his paws and tried to take us up beating his wings hard, we almost tripped down. "Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?" I moved my foot before we crashed to the cove's wall and we were up in a second.

Toothless twisted his body indicating me where to go, "Where are we going?" I asked obeying Toothless and changing direction. I got a roar in response, "Hey, but-" he cut me off with another roar, it heard like a _'shut up'._

I pouted and followed his orders. We flew calmly at comparison with the last experience and after who-knows-how-long- we reached an island; it was smaller than Berk, almost all rocks and sand with a tree there and there.

We finally landed; I hoped off of Toothless and stretched my legs. Toothless jumped away and called out for me; I never told him my name but two days after I gave him one he began to do this sound every time he wanted my attention, I had get that it was my name – or at least the one he gave me.

Putting the bag over my shoulder I followed Toothless trough the beach. We reached the end of it and a weird rock-pillars formation followed; Toothless jumped easily over them, I, well, I had to manage to climb some then get down only to had to climb again. I had no idea how many times I did that before laid the basket down feeling it heavier and looked around.

"You know," I called Toothless, breathless, he was too far but he surely heard me, "this is a beautiful place, why don't we stop here and-" I didn't finish the sentence distracted by what was on the horizon, a heavy, gray fog. I stared at it, how could I have missed that?

Something came to my mind: I had a dragon, what if I could convince Toothless to take me in? No, it was too risky. Lot of lives had been lost in there, lives of the best Vikings Berk had, I wouldn't make it alive.

And what if I could convince him to take _them_ in? Of course that would mean to tell then the true and put him on danger.

Toothless huffed my name at my ear, I jumped and returned to reality, he didn't look at the fog like he uses to do when I stare at something, like if he didn't like the place. I wondered why, it was his home after all. I said nothing and followed him.

* * *

The sky had already turned orange, my stomach was grumbling, my legs were burning for the long walk, and we hadn't reach wherever Toothless was taking me "Are we there yet?" I asked almost tripping with my own foot. Toothless let out an annoyed growl trough the bag straps. He decided to carry with it when he saw that it slower my walk. "I'm hungry!" I knew that I had said it ten times already nut my feet were _killing_ me. He let out a yowl and pointed somewhere onward in a we-are-almost-there expression, I groaned and let me fall forward, hitting my knees first and didn't putting too much effort on stop my face to hit the ground. My head got buried on sand, _great_ , more sand.

Toothless called me very annoyed, "I'm not walking anymore!" I heard his steps going away until I didn't hear him anymore; if he though that was going to make me follow him he was very, _very_ wrong. I heard him getting close and called me when he was on my side, "No." I groaned, he answered me with an annoyed sigh; I had heard lot of them lately.

I felt Toothless breathing on my neck and in the next moment I was on the air, "Hey! Put me _down_!" he huffed with my harness on his mouth and began to walk. I tried to put my feet on the ground but I couldn't even reach it. He _wasn't_ that tall, why couldn't I reach the ground?

Twisting to look at Toothless' body I noticed that he, indeed, was taller than I tough, he had his legs completely extended and his neck stretched up. Hell, he _is_ big. The last two weeks with him had made me forget that he was the dragon that had destroy entire buildings with just one freaking shoot, the one with children have nightmares on, the _adults_ have nightmares on, even when no one – except me – have seen him. This was the big dragon that almost killed me a month ago.

He dropped me in front of the basket, "Couldn't we land here instead?" I remained sit with my legs unfolded and with my but sore, I pout at Toothless; he rolled his eyes in his dragon way – lowering his eyelids and turning his eyes up like he didn't want to see whatever where bothering him, in this case me. Most of the times where me – and walked away again, "Where are you-" he roared shutting me up again.

I saw him go to a near tree and snapping off every branch. He dropped them in front of me and set them on fire, after it he dropped the bag, bit it from the bottom, and pulled it up empting it; the fish spread thought the rock and he pushed it at me. Toothless sat behind me, letting me use him as backrest.

A bright smile appeared on my face and I looked at him, Toothless stared me with big, rounded eyes and gave me a little lick on my cheek. "Thanks, buddy." I said sweetly and grabbed three fishes, "The rest if for you." He immediately took one and swallowed it; I took a branch that wasn't burned jet to stick the fish and roasted it.

Cuddling on Toothless I let the fish cook and watched the sunset in front of us, he had chosen a beautiful place. I took off my boots to rest my feet and got ready to nap a little. Toothless' stomach began to move with a sound I knew too well now. A slimy fish head fell at my side, I stared at it, "No, thanks." I said maybe too fast, a cloud of what might be betrayal crossed his eyes, "I'm good with this buddy, seriously, I don't eat that much."

He looked at the fish head and to the ones by the campfire, he pushed it with the other ones and continued eating. I closed my eyes again.

Three seconds, three damned seconds passed before high-pitched screeches made me wake up. A group of Terrible Terrors landed with us walking around and smelling the fish.

Toothless soon protected his food putting it closer to him with his paws and snarling at the little dragons. They seemed kind of funny being so little but I knew what were they capable of. One may not be a problem but together – as they always are – could cause a _big_ mess, they can ever carry an adult. We didn't call them Terrible Terror for nothing.

I crawled back to Toothless' body as a red Terror tried to take one of his fishes getting too close to me for my pleasure but Toothless just needed to snarl at it to get back.

While he was distracted with the red one a yellowish green Terror tried and managed to steal a fish, actually he stole the fish's head Toothless had regurgitated for me. The red Terror turned to the yellowish green and tried to eat from the head. The yellow-green dragon hissed and the red began to gargle, the yellow-green was faster and shot at it making the other Terror to take flight.

Toothless looked at them unimpressed. Something cached my eyes, actually cached Toothless too; a fish from the pile was standing up and walking away, the black dragon immediately grabbed the fish by the head.

The green Terrible Terror didn't let it go and fought for it, they struggled for a bit but the little dragon was nothing for Toothless who snapped off the fish and swallowed it whole letting the Terror with a piece of tail on his mouth, Toothless laughed, bothering the little guy even more.

I looked away to the other ones, thanks Thor they were distracted, the red and blue one trying to snatch the food from the yellowish green dragon. Back with Toothless, the little one scratched its claws on the rock, gargling, it opened its mouth and jerked up. I slowly backed up and look at Toothless who still was unimpressed.

I was tough to fear every dragon and to don't underestimate them but for Toothless this was probably just another little and annoying nest-mate. Toothless spited out a little plasma blast, no more bug than my fist but it filled the Terror mouth, taking him down. The Terrible Terror stood up, smoking, and walked away to his mates who _now_ where playing attention to him just to laugh a the dizzy dragon.

"Huh, not so fire prof on the inside, are ya'?" The dragon shook his head focusing again. I took one of my fishes, a small one, and tossed it to him, "Here you go." The dragon's face lighted up and took the fish on his mouth, swallowing it without bit it once.

I sat once again, the dragon looked at me and walked forward hesitantly and got to my side crawling underneath my arm, I pulled it up instinctively but he just rested down and closed his eyes.

Slowly, I put my hand down petting him. His small body rising up and down with every fast breathes. I scratched him and he began to purr. A slight nervous laugh leaved my lips as I smiled. The other three Terrors got close to me with a suspicious gaze but the blue one crawled to my lap, the yellowish green to my shoulders and the red to my head. I couldn't contain a laugh; Toothless rolled his eyes and shook his head but said nothing – well, nothing I could understand – I looked at myself, who would ever imagine this? Sitting beside a Night Fury with four Terrible Terrors napping on me.

It wasn't just Toothless; I played with the Gronckle on the ring with the dragon nip; the Zippleback weren't so bad since I fed him, uh, them; and, damn, even the Nadder stopped its race when I dropped the maze! Now these little fellas… "Everything we know about you guys, it's wrong."

And it took me a whole freaking month to realize that, years of war between Vikings and dragons. Years full of funerals and losses and starving. _Years_ and no one had ever realized.

But, why they attack us? Maybe we were too close to their nest. Or someone pissed off a dragon long ago.

I stretched my hand and straighten a little to take my cooked fish. The four Terrible Terrors lifted up their heads at the slightly move but put it back down when I took my position again; I hadn't eaten half of the fish when Toothless finished his pile. He looked back, watching carefully at the Terrors; he growled in warning before resting down his head on his paws.

When I finish to eat I really regretted not having taken more fishes. Since when I haven't eat well? Probably since I met Toothless. Anyways I jerked my back and twisted a bit to my left cracking my bones and disturbing all the five dragons, I twisted to my right and let our a groan of relief; I opened my eyes and see a very scared Toothless with four Terrors on his head with the same horrified expression.

"We are going!" I declared with a laugh taking my boots and putting them on before jumping to my feet. Toothless sniffed my back and poked it with his nose making a worried noises; I laughed again "I'm fine, see?" I interlocked my fingers and stretched my arms to crack them, Toothless gasped in horror and looked at my fingers expecting they were broken. "They are fine." I waved them in font of his eyes.

Seeing I was well his glare changed to an angry one, "Oh, c'mon." He huffed at me, "But I'm fine!" He roars furiously and a red fireball fell on his mouth.

Toothless coughed as the green Terror sat on my shoulder and growled at the Night Fury. I shot of a laugh as Toothless slowly turned his gaze to the Terror standing protectively on my shoulder. Damn, when was the last time I laugh like this?

"I guess I made a new friend." I took the Terror off my shoulder and held him up from his sides, he looked at me and liked his own eye before twisting his head, "Hum… I'm gonna call you… Sharpshot! You like it?" The Terror gargles a kind of laughing. Toothless just watched with a low, deep growl on the back of his throat. "Oh, come on buddy, don't be jealous."

Toothless turned his head and I could swear I heard an _"I'm not jealous."_ Coming from his direction. Sharpshot laughed and crawled for my arm to my shoulder and to my head; his mates accompany in his scoff.

For a moment I felt bad, I didn't like to mock on people, not like this, and Toothless it's my friend; I couldn't make him this, not when I knew how it feels.

"Okay, we're going." I put Sharpshot on the ground and pat him on the head before hopping on Toothless; he wasted no time and took off to the sky. After a moment of silence I got close to his earflaps and whispered, "You are still my favorite, bud." His earflap perked up and he raised his head, then it turned to me; I gave him a sweet smile and scratched his neck softly, "you will _always_ be."

* * *

When I was a kid I was always afraid of enter to the forest at night, it gets too dark and you can't see if there was a dragon or another beast stalking you. Till now I still didn't like it but Toothless couldn't land close to the village, so I did the only thing a rational fifth-year-old girl would do: brace myself and run for my _freaking_ life before something cached me.

I began to see the flickering lights of the village and happy Hooligans all around, I smiled, I was close. A nervous laugh leaved my lips and I got out of the trees. Closing my eyes with relief I walked forward rubbing my neck and realizing how stupid it was that I just rode a dragon and I was still afraid of the forest.

"Hiccup?" a well-know voice came to my ears but what was he doing here? "What happened to yer shirt?" suddenly more pair of eyes joined my uncle's.

"Ugh…" I lowered my hand slowly and began to mumble an explication, "I- I, well… I was on the woods… and, uh, ya' know how it gets at night, I didn't see it comi-"

"What was it, a Gronckle?" a neighbor, Ack, asked. What was _he_ doing here?

"Nah, Gronckles don't come close to the village at night, it surely was a Nadder."

"Yep," I confirmed, "It was a Nadder." Every one gave a step closer to hear the new story, _shit_ I hate to lie, someone always ended discovering the true.

"What did you do? Smack it with a hammer?" somebody I the second line asked.

"Of course not. Hiccup doesn't use hammers. You used a sword isn't it?" Now it was Phlegma the one who spoke, she had been in all my lessons since the Zippleback. Somebody deny that and other take the word from him and a big discuss began. It didn't last long, tough; in a moment everyone was shouted and looking expectant to me. I looked at them still trying to figure out what was wrong with this situation- aside of being surrounded of Vikings wanting to hear how _I_ fought a beast.

"Uh, just took it down like the Nadder on the ring the other day." I said and it surprised me how confident I sounded. The group of Vikings began to cheer up with a surge of _'I tolya so's'_ but a voice above everyone cached my attention.

"That's my daughter!" The people in front of him got out the way I finally saw him.

"Dad!" I screamed and ran for his open arms, he lifted me off the ground in a hug. One month, one _freaking_ month without him. I fought the tears _'Chin up, shoulders back'_ I recalled his words as he put me down and I rose my chin, stood straight and pulled my shoulders back as I gave him a smile with more confidence that I though I had. He returned me the gesture with a proud smile and with a hand on my shoulder.

My heart flinched, I didn't deserve that smile.

"Good you are here," Gobber interrupted in the right moment, "we were waiting for ya'!"

"Fo-For what?" I asked more than confused.

"Party at the Great Hall!" Spitelout didn't fail to say and everyone attention turned to the food and drinks that were waiting. My father laughed and gave a pat on my back pushing me a little to start to walk.

"I'll catch with you latter." I said getting out of Ack's way before he took me down in his race of being the first. "I want to change first." I explained to my father before heading to the house.

I walked in non-stop, evading people and giving smiles to the ones that congratulated me until I got to my room, close the door and lay on it. My breath began to accelerate and I let myself fall using my hands to stop the blow. My legs spread on the floor and I kept my gaze in my boots not actually seeing anything.

This is bad. The whole village, the whole _freaking_ village! I hit my head with my fists, recoiling my legs. How could I have been so stupid?! This had gone out of hand long ago, I should had stopped then, when I had the chance but _no,_ Hiccup wanted to see if what she does with Toothless worked with other dragons, Hiccup had _befriend_ a mother _freaking_ dragon and thought that _no one_ would ever notice! Any conclusions? Yes, Hiccup is stupid. What was I even thinking? Oh, right! I wasn't…

"Everything is a lie," I breathe out hugging myself. "What am I going to do?"

* * *

There it goes… there it comes…

I pushed the pencil again and saw it rolling on the desk. It rolled away and didn't return so I picked it up and began again. My stomach grumbles asking for food, I couldn't be hungry, I ate with Toothless and that hadn't been a couple of hours ago.

Toothless… _shit_ , I needed to fix the saddle so I won't fall again but I let it on the cove. I gave out a frustrated sigh as the pencil got stuck on some papers, they probably were Toothless' saddle planes, if not they were drawings of him, I didn't know; the good thing of having a place for my own in the smith is that, well, is _mine_. And I didn't have to worry for hiding anything or – my favorite thing – having everything organized.

In fact, it _was_ organized; the clean sheets of paper were on the shelves with my pencils and tools, the things that I was currently using were on the desk and the cut-out leather that had no more use were on the floor with the one I hadn't use jet. Sometimes I sleep there, the leather kept warm and in the night I was too lazy for walk to my house.

"Everything is in its place and no one can tell otherwise." I muttered to myself as I put the pencil on its place to continue playing.

"Hiccup?" an unexpected voice called form the door.

I jumped off my sit, "Dad!" his gaze danced trough the messed up room. I moved to papers on the desk putting them together, "W-what are you doing here?" I asked nervously, hopefully it will pass like I was trying to accommodate my workspace.

"I came for you-" he said as if it was obvious and entered the tiny room filling the space "What are you doing in the smith this late anyways?"

"I, uh… came for something but kind of forgot…" I looked around the room like if searching for it with my eyes; I ended eying my sketchbook open at my side in my first Toothless sketch. Quickly I closed it and struck for an awkward casual pose, trying to cover as much as possible before my father's eyes returned to me.

"Yeah," He whispered, understanding how easy I would lose something in here, "Well, we must be going," he turned to the door – actually, it wasn't a door, just a piece of cloth hanging out – I followed him releasing my breath, the sooner we were out of here, the better. "Oh! Wait," he turned again an I covered the desk again with a nervous smile, "I… brought you something," he handed me a horned helmet.

My legs gave out. I slid, dragging the table's paper with me and sitting again, "A- a helmet?" my voice was almost audible, I looked at him with my jaw dropped; Dad nodded, fixed a tilted horn and pushed it closer to me, encouraging me to take it. My arms were wimps but I took it without hesitation, "Wow, thanks." I put it over my lap and caressed the top, feeling the cold iron.

"Your mother would've wanted you to have it," he said softly and I couldn't reprise a smile, I didn't _want_ to reprise a smile. Mom. Was this hers? "It's half of her breast plate." Yes, it was. I automatically pulled my hand off the helmet and clenched it to a fist. He didn't seem to notice, tough, and taped his own, smiling. "Matching set. Keeps her close, y'know?"

I smiled sweetly, the only thing I had from her was the stuffed dragon. Grabbing it from the horns I stood up and out it on my head.

"She'll protect you on the ring," he said as he put his hand on my arms to fix my posture, I did it myself, rising my chin and pulling my shoulders back and adding a determined smirk. He fixed the helmet in place so he could see better my face, "wear it proudly, you deserve it" he drew his fingers softly trough my cheek and my jaw, ending on my chin. He raised it a bit up and gave me a encourage, sweet, proud and loving smile that was suppose to give me courage but felt like he was crushing my heart.

My smile slowly faded, my first Viking helmet and it was a lie.

"Why were you lying?" he asked and I panicked again feeling how the blood drained my face.

"WHAT? Lying? No. I wasn't, I-" His booming laugh cut me, I stare at him a little baffled. Of what was he laughing? Or an even better question, of what was he talking about? He couldn't know about Toothless, he couldn't know the true. He wouldn't be laughing if he knew.

"Oh, come on! All these years of the worst Viking Berk has ever seen and it was all a farce! I thought Flashburn was lying about the sword fighting, oh, Odin. I almost give up on you." He smacked me on the shoulder sending me to the wall and making me fell and stuck into a basket. I drew my hand to my head to stop the helmet to fall; I fix it and tried to get out. "And all the while you were holding out on me! Thor almighty!" I stopped trying to get out, grimacing at him – even when in his excitement he didn't notice the expression – the _worst Viking_ , well thank you. It's always good to know that you have family to support you.

"Yeah," I breathe out, getting unstuck and again to my feet, "I guess I only need a chance to try." My dad laughed and put more gently his hand on my shoulder driving me to the door and out the smith.

We walked to the Great Hall side by side; I had to jog to keep his steps.

In the moment his laugh ended and awkward silence began. It was always good to have a conversation with your father, but when he _was_ a dragon slayer warrior and you were a scrawny teen who was _faking_ to be a dragon slayer warrior, there wasn't really much to talk about.

To break the silence I talked about the first days of training and that I got injured; at least those weren't lies. My heart flinched, this was one of the best conversations I ever had had with him.

"Don't worry." He told me as we climb the stairs, "You'll have time to return the favor." I laughed anxiously _'yes, that helps a lot'_.

As soon as we were spotted someone kidnapped me and took me to a table where there was a discussion on my favorite weapon, some were very sure it was an ax since it's the one I use the most, plus it was kind of familiar tradition to use it; some –including Phlegma - were sure it was a sword; other that it was a maze, other that a hammer, I had never use a spare so it was quickly disqualified; when I got the chance to speak I said that I didn't had a favorite one and as soon as I end speaking someone grabbed me form the arm and took me to another group of Vikings. I was at least dragged to seven different tables before Gobber came to my rescue and made me sat with him to eat. I wasn't sit even five seconds and I was already surrounded by Hooligans.

"Go away and let her eat!" Gobber yelled and tried to shoo them; they didn't move but at least let me eat and whenever someone made a question either some of my 'fans' answered it or I just needed to nod or mumble a short answer.

The group began to fall apart as the night went on and a new group of drunken Hooligans replaced them with questions that became more and more stupid so I just laughed and them – both Viking and question - and answered shortly.

By some point the twins, Snotlout and Fishlegs joined me; Fishlegs and I began to talk about dragons, actually he talked more than me and I liked it so the attention wasn't on me. Ruff, tuff and Snotlout didn't last much and leaved to make havoc in other place but Fishlegs stayed with me. Our conversation kept most people away so it was good for me; just some came to listen us and provided information of their experiences.

I felt someone's glare on me, there were a lot but that one was different: hot, uncomfortable and it let me breathless. Looking between the huge Viking bodies in front of me I found a pair of blue eyes.

Asher was leaning on a wall with his arms crossed and staring me angry; then I realized with whom I was sitting with. Sven, Spitelout, Phlegma and, gods help me, his parents. No wonder why he was so furious.

Slowly the Hall voices began to lower to whispers and everyone looked at some point behind me. I looked over my shoulder, concerned and saw my dad over the main table.

Oh, no.

Someone in the crowd of Vikings began to cheer, by the sound of it he was more than drunk, a fellow Viking joined him and in a few seconds the whole room was sheering the Chief.

Rolling my eyes I put my right hand by my mouth and sheered with the others raising my fist to the air. My dad accepted the ovation for a moment then gestured to quiet down, laughing at the happy crowd. I passed my legs to the other side of the bench and rested my back on the table waiting for the hall to be silent.

A hand pressed my shoulder and I turned to see Ruffnut walking over the table and sitting at my side; her twin followed her using me as support as well before jumping down and sitting between Fishlegs and I. Snotlout made his way to the table and sat by his father; Asher had followed him but he just rested his hip on the side of the table and stared at my father direction, still with his arms crossed. His eyes turned to me and we met for a second before he returned his gaze to the Chief with an inexpressive face.

"In this last weeks," he began and I turned my attention to him, "a lot of things happened: we leaved to Helheim's Gate and found nothing unfortunately losing three people." _What?_ There was a moment of silence for the fallen ones.

And what was Hiccup doing? Oh, right. Playing with her Night Fury.

"Now, they are in Valhalla dining with our ancestors and the gods!" At that everyone shout hurrahs. When they calmed again, my father continued, "But not all is bad news," _Oh, no._ "In this last weeks Gobber had been training our future warriors." He shouted signaling at us with his hand.

The Hall got full of sheers one more time. I grabbed my helmet and ducked just in time for evade Ruffnut and Tuffnut head-butt.

"And more surprising" _No, please._ "We have discovered a new big warrior" _No, you haven't_ "My daughter." He ended proudly and I was wrong when I thought the Hall couldn't ne louder because now I couldn't even hear what Ruff was saying and she was in front of me. Rolling her eyes, she graved my arms and I felt Tuff grabbing the other as they stood me up _on_ the table.

There wasn't a single pair of eyes that wasn't on me, but I felt more two of them, father's and Asher's and I had no ides whose I feared the most. The only thing I knew was that I was going to kill the twins.

How many minutes passed I had no idea but as son as the mass of Vikings began to chill I jumped to the bench and to the floor and sat again.

"Tomorrow will be the final class," the Chief said to all the recruits, "and the Elder will decide who will kill its first dragon. So, I recommended you to go to rest now."

The attention turned to the six of us and the applauses gave us the exit. My heart beat faster, the blood drumming on my ears, I stopped listening to anyone as I stood up with the others and leaved the Great Hall.

All my life I had been told dragons were demons mean to harm, destroy and wreak havoc to Vikings and all mankind; Getting to know Toothless had make me doubt it all.

_Figure out which side you are on!_

The words danced on my head. I sighed as I entered to my house. I already figured out.

Without noticing I chose long ago and I was afraid of my decision. Not because it may be wrong; because I _knew_ what I would need to do. And I didn't want to.


	7. Treason

I kept staring to the roof listening to my father's snores. I couldn't sleep and the noise wasn't the problem, I had got used to it. What bugged me was the last class. Rolling to my left I glanced to the closed window, _am I really going to do this?_ I groaned and rolled to the other side, don't wanting to think about it and looked at the door.

But I couldn't get it out of my head, what if something goes wrong? What if whatever dragon we face don't put me attention? What if I couldn't calm it if front of everyone? What if I _could_? What would _they_ do? I would need to tell them about Toothless, about everything. But tell them that I _befriended_ a _dragon_ … gods, this was an act of treason. They were the enemy! And aside that, I had been lying to them for _weeks_.

I knew the consequences of my acts well; my last name would be ripped away from me, I would no longer be welcome in Berk and after killing Toothless I would be send to the sea by my own in the hopes that I die… if I was lucky enough that was it.

My thoughts began to run, what would be the worst they would do? Torch me alive in front of everyone? Behead me? Put me as the target of a dozen of arrows? Gods… being the Chief daughter would not help me this time; he doesn't have the word, the Village has. And the Hooligans didn't have the best sense when they were angry.

Returning to face the roof I buried my face in my hands, _am I_ really _going to do this?!_ Of course I was. I couldn't let them kill Toothless, I needed to show them that dragons weren't bloodthirsty beast and tomorrow was my only chance to do it.

Unless… I lowered my hands a bit; there was still another option.

What of I didn't show anything tomorrow? What if I step aside and let other win? I could let Asher win and… leave. I could leave.

I was getting crazy, leave with a dragon? Would I really do this? The memory of Toothless falling and screaming for me, us playing in the cove, resting in that island with the Terrors…

Yes.

Yes, I would leave with him. I would let everything behind for him. My name, my house, my tribe… my father.

Yes, I could leave, let Asher win, let him kill the Monstrous Nightmare. With Dragon Training over and with Asher to kill the dragon, hopefully, I would be alone again and I could plan this out; stay in winter and leave when it's over, just a few months more. I could do it… but what if I win? The last classes I even try anything and the dragons went for me.

_"_ _You leave,"_ a voice rang inside my head _"you leave and don't look back. There's no waiting until winter, Hiccup. If you are going to leave you are going to do it today."_

I sat putting the blanket aside, took a deep breathe and stood don't bothering in putting my boots on, opened the door with trembling hands and went downstairs, telling myself to calm down.

The fireplace was completely off, the firewood not even moved. I swallowed the knot on my throat and spotted my father's door in the dark. Knowing that Dad would not hear my steps with his snores I walked quickly to his door; I stopped midway when I stubbed my little toe, "Shit!" I breathe out recoiling my leg to hug my foot on my hands. I gave the chair a mad look and continued my walking in the dark, now slower.

Holding my breath I pushed the door, it cracked as it opened more; I closed my eyes and kept pushing it slowly, it gave a loud crack and Dad stopped snoring. Freaked out I opened an eye and watched him shift to the side and continued snoring; I released my breath.

Walking on my tiptoes I headed to his desk. There was a map of the archipelago on top of it; finally I had some good luck on my side.

I took it and fold it; looking back to my sleeping father I leaved his room closing the door after me. I ran quietly to my room and grabbed a satchel putting the map inside; I went to the desk and grabbed… my sketchbook? Damn it! It was on the smith. All my tools were in there; I hung the satchel on my shoulder, I needed to have all ready.

* * *

The moon was getting down when I reached the mouth of the cove; the sun would replace it soon. Toothless was on the edge of the pond, playing with the water and splashing it everywhere. I smiled, readjusted the saddle on my shoulder and headed down. Making the minimum noise I hided behind a rock to see what Toothless did; I thought he slept in the night but it seems he sleeps whenever he wants.

I moved to a side to see him better; he was smiling –he made that a little more naturally now- and looked for a moment to the dark sky and howled to the moon and stared at it for a moment then turned away to his hide-spot and grabbed the sapling he uses to draw; he put a side on the ground, readjusted the sapling and began to draw. I kept walking to my side as I watched him spin.

A branch snapped; I froze, looked down to my boot and to the broken branch. I looked up again; Toothless was gone. I gulped as I heard a snarl over me, I yelped as I jumped over the rocks and tried to run in the open space. Toothless jumped over me taking me down, he turned me and before I could saw him I felt his rough tongue over my face.

"Agh!" I pushed him away but he kept licking me, "That's enough, stop!" He did and looked me with big green eyes, pleased with himself. I got the saliva off my face and stood up shaking off the dirt out of me.

Toothless ran to his hide place and returned with the saddle and harness on mouth, "I'm sorry, bud. Not now." I pat his snout, he lowered his ear-plates and wings, "I need to talk to you and it's serious."

I let the satchel on the floor and sat on a rock; putting the saddle and harness down Toothless looked at me worried, "It's okay, bud, it's just, um… tomorrow- today," I corrected myself "will be the final class and it's probably, _very_ probably that I'm going to win." Toothless worried look disappeared and a new of courage replaced it, he gave me a supporting head-butt.

"That's not the problem." He looked at me confused, "The one who wins… gets to kill their first dragon in front of everyone." His face turned to pure horror and gave a step back, "I'm not going to do that, bud." I hurried to say before he made any wrong conclusion, "We need to leave."

The dragon was pure confusion; he looked away, thinking for a long moment then looked at me and gave me a strong nod before pushing the saddle to me, "Not now, we still have a chance. Winter is near, if I don't win we can stay till it's over, then leave."

I sighed as I looked up to the now orange sky; Toothless made a worried sound and rubbed his head behind my arm till I raised it and let him rest on my lap. I pet his forehead and after a second of thinking I curled my mouth and let out a howl from the back of my throat, the sound that leaved my lips were pretty similar to his.

Toothless' earflaps perked up and he looked me amazed. He made the same sound again and I imitated him; he stood up tapping the ground with his front paws and moved to sit in front of me; he made a more happy noise and waited in amusement till I replied. He jumped in circles and then rubbed his head on my chest, I laughed and hugged him, _what did I say?_

"Okay, bud. I gotta go." I said pulling him away, he licked my chin and stepped away. I grabbed the saddle, "I need you to keep it on, just in case something does wrong." I didn't struggle in putting it on, he was completely still but I felt his gaze on me the whole time. When I finished I turned to him, why was he looking at me like that? Like if he were hurt; I drew up my hand and he pressed his nose to it.

Taking the satchel from the ground I tied it to the saddle, "I see ya' latter, okay?" I grabbed my harness and took it with me.

* * *

I walked to the house as the sun showed up. I yawned extending my arms up and reaching for the back door; I froze seeing my father already in the kitchen and closed the door before he saw me. Damn, damn, damn, _damn_.

"Hiccup?" He called upstairs, "Are ya' still asleep?" No, unfortunately, I wasn't. I ran to the house's side and looked up to the open window.

"Oh, thanks Odin." I whispered and put an arm inside the harness; I jumped and grabbed to wherever I could and began to climb. I _hate_ to climb. Walk? Love it; run? Have done it all my life; but _climb?_ Once I loved climb trees, the branches were my hiding spot for my troll hunting but with the time –for no reason that I remembered- I began to hate it. I reached the window and tried to drag me inside; I fell on my room with a yelp, hearing Dad's steps on the other side of the door. I crawled to the bed, tossing the harness under it. The door opened with still me on the floor; quickly I used the bed to help me stand up.

"What were ya' doing on the floor?" He asked confused.

"I fell." I simply said, almost breathless.

"Hum…" He accepted the answer and entered the room with a smile on his face, "I made breakfast. The competition is not until noon but I need to go."

I smile and rolled my eyes. He was the Chief, he needed to organize everything and if he wasn't there everything goes to chaos. The only reason the island survives when he leaves was because most of the Hooligans leaved with him. "I know," I laughed –I have no idea where that laugh came from- "you better leave before Spitelout take care of something."

Dad chuckled and ruffled my hair; he ended with a sigh and with his hand holding my face, "Good luck." He leaned forward to kiss my forehead then leaved.

My tired body fell on the bed and after all the night without sleep I let my eyelids close.

* * *

The stupor outside waked me up and I knew it was time. I stood and quickly ate my eggs and smoked yak meat. I let the dishes on the table and grabbed a shield from the wall and my axe. I stopped in cold with my hand on the door and returned to my room to put on my helmet. I jogged to the door and put the shield on my back with the strap crossing my chest and grabbed the axe. Slowly I released my breath closing my eyes to calm myself and open them confident, I wasn't anxious or afraid; I felt powerful, with the feeling that I could win without Toothless' help. Even when I wasn't going to try, I knew I could.

I opened the door and a storm of cheers filed my ears, I didn't contain a smirk as I walked outside; Gobber was waiting for me.

"You were sleeping, weren't you?" his voice sounded a bit annoyed. I gave him a weak smile, he knew me well.

In all our way to the arena I didn't stop hearing 'good luck's' and complains of almost every Viking that couldn't go to se the final class because they got other things to do.

The other teens were with their parents when we arrived; I was the last one. By the look on their faces when they saw me you could tell today everyone was going for the glory. Except for me.

Gobber leaved to the Main Gate leaving me alone with my approaching father. Slowly I stood better.

"How ya' feeling?" his voice was weird; nervous and excited at the same time.

"Like if I am about to throw up." The words almost stuck on my throat.

"It's normal, you are just nervous."

"It's not, you never feel like this." I looked away to evade his eyes.

"Hiccup, everyone gets nervous." He said putting one knee down to match my size; he put his hands on my shoulders "Now, listen. Not matter what happens, I will always be here for you." He turned his gaze to Gobber and stood up "Take yer shield, it's time."

I passed the strap over my head careful to don't take down my helmet and adjusted it to my right arm remembering the first class when I couldn't carry with the axe and lift the shield at the same time; now I did it without problem.

"You look like a warrior." He raised my chin with a finger. "Good luck." I watched him leave to the upper part patting in the shoulder Spitelout in his way; he said a last word to Snotlout and joined his cousin.

Snotlout joined me without a word and we walked towards Gobber. The other recruits joined us on the way, anyone said anything; all faces were pure determination. It felt kind of weird to see them serious when you knew them as, well, _them_. No one seems like themselves, even Asher. Maybe it's because we were more dirty than usual; I had only bathe once in the last weeks –without counting the times I fell on the pond.

"This morning the council decided which dragon you are going to fight." Gobber began, I'm not allowed to tell you, good luck and remember what you learn in Training." Well, that was short; we gave a nod, any word was spoken; Gobber opened the iron gate to let us in, as soon as we were he closed it and joined the few people above.

I got distracted looking up, searching for a person willing to pull a lever. Without noticing we were on the middle of the arena in a circle with our backs to the others looking at the gates, waiting.

It wasn't until then that I noticed the barricades; they were low, don't work to evade a Zippleback, the Terror maybe but _one_ Terror for the final class? I don't think so. Nadders were tall, long-legged; it could easily walk over the wooden barricades without problem. Gronckle; I realized as agate opened behind me. Everyone turned, except Fishlegs who was facing it already.

Ignoring what the others did, I move out of the way. Why it had to be a Gronckle? That thing loved me and always searched for me on Training even when I told it already to don't! The Zippleback obeyed me and ignored me most of the time. The Nadder would have been a better option for the final class; it attacks me, not to kill but to put up scene.

The Gronckle tackled Snotlout and he went flying and landed on my side; he took advantage of the hit rolling over himself and to his feet, the crowd cheered him.

The dragon lost interest on the boy and spotted me; I raised my shield covering half my face and twirled the axe's handle on my hand. The Gronckle didn't recognize me and shot; I heard the anxious screams of the crowd as I didn't move. They knew - I knew- that I couldn't resist a shot from the Gronckle but I waited until the last moment to spin to my side and hide in a barricade. The dragon lost any track of me, for it I was gone, blasted to ashes. Now the barricades have sense, I mean, they are _dragons_ they can fly over them.

A battle cry cached my attention, I peaked over the barrier and saw Ruffnut screaming to catch up the Gronckle's attention, she didn't had her spear with her just the shield that she raised and launched to the dragon. It hit its head and took it down startled. Ruffnut laughed as she ran and rolled behind a barricade, she stood up with her spear and another shield -there are back up shields?!- her brother who was running to the other side high-five her as they pass each others sides.

I turned my gaze trough the arena searching for the others but just could see a helmet's horn once a while; a blonde haired boy covered my view and I crawled back as his blue eyes turned to me.

The Vikings above were cheering someone else as Asher lowered my shield to the ground and looked me dead in the eye; someone screamed as I heard the Gronckle shot again but I was more focused on Asher.

"Stay out of my way!" He fixed his grip on the axe and got close to my face till his forehead was touching my helmet, "I'm winning this thing."

"Gods, please, by all means." He gave me a last look and darted off, closing fast to the dragon; the crowd above cheered on him as he hided on a barricade behind it.

"You got it Asher!" Someone screamed.

I stood and looked around the crowd until I found my dad; he was beaming with pride. He locked eyes with me and gave me a nod of encouragement. I readjust my helmet on my head and gave him a half-hearted smile.

Hearing a buzzing coming towards me I turned and saw the Gronckle flying with its tongue out ready to play.

"No, no, no!" I muttered and raised my shield to stop the dragon. It head-butted it softly and pushed me back. "No! We can't play now!" I hissed loud enough for just the dragon to hear me. I began to back up axe raised and with the shield between the Gronckle and me. "Go away!" It gave me a sad look and rubbed its head on the shield till it pushed it away to rub its head on me to pet him; it made my helmet to fall. I heard Asher battle cry to my right but he was way to far to get in time; not having other option I released my shield and weapon to give a fast scratch on the back on its head.

The Gronckle fell and every one went in silence. I turned to Asher and shrugged trying to show that I was as unhappy with the situation as he was; the crowd began to cheer.

"No!" He stomped and raised his axe to his head closing hard his eyes, "No, no, no!" He swung his axe around him in exasperation and began to curse out loud, "You half-troll! Rat eating! Munge bucket!"

The main gate opened and Gobber patted my shoulder as he took the Gronckle and pulled it back to its cave.

"Wait, wait." My father said calming the crowd and making a way for Gothi to step forward.

"So, latter." I said and walked towards the door.

"Not so fast." Gobber snagged me and put me on line with the others.

"I'm kinda late for-" I shut as Asher drew his axe to me and his angry, blue eyes locked in mines.

"What?" He asked putting the wedge of his axe on my throat and pushing me with it "Late for what exactly?"

"Okay, quiet down." The Chief held out his hands to silence the jabbering crowd. Asher lowered his axe and got in line at my side; I drew my hand to my neck feeling it a little sore. "The elder has decided." The Vikings above lightened up excitedly again. Wait, he didn't see that? _Really?_

A loud _clack_ rang out when Gothi smacked her staff at the metal ring and made everyone to shut up.

Gobber began with the recruits at my left, I was the last one; Gothi shook her head in a 'no' almost instantly at everyone. Gobber pointed Asher, he stood tall and proud with a serene expression; the crowd waited in silent anticipation until Gothi shook her head. A collective 'Oooh' could be heard above. _No._ Then Gobber pointed at me. _Please say no, please say no._ Sometimes it happens, sometimes she changes her mind. _Please!_ The elder looked me for a moment then with a weakly smile nodded. The crowd erupted in cheers.

The first thing I did was turn to face Asher; he gave me a seething, deadly glare that I knew it just was going to give me problems for the rest of my life… if I would stay. Well, may be there's a good thing on this situation; I would not need to face… _that_ every day.

"You've done it! You've done it, Hiccup! You get to kill the dragon!" Gobber began to scream and hugged me with his hook-hand.

"Ha, ha! That's my girl!" My father scream but I didn't get my eyes away from Asher until Snotlout helped Fishlegs to get me onto his shoulder, Ruffnut and Tuffnut head-butted in celebration. It seemed everyone were happy of my winning except for Asher and me, of course.

I tried to hide my panic; I was supposed to be happy! So I began to laugh even when it sounded as it weren't real "Oh yeah! Yes! I can't wait. I am so, so exited for tomorrow."

I let out a sigh as Fishlegs put me down. Evading people I walked towards my axe and helmet; I put it on and Gobber hugged me again to lead me outside, as soon as I was out the ring hands and more hands drove me towards the village and to the Mead Hall, _great_ more people. The way were more long that I ever remember being and I didn't stop smiling and laughing, it sounded more real now.

"I'm gonna… leave this on the house." I said before I stepped on the stairs to the Mead Hall, the crowd of Vikings was bigger now that we were on the village, "I'll catch up with you." My father was about to say something but Gobber stopped him and gestured me to go.

Even when it was just a few meters from the beginning of the stairs to my house I felt it like of it were more; it was a big relief when I was inside. But as soon as I felt better I felt heavier and I fell on my knees, "What have I done?" I whispered to myself. I needed to press my thumb to the axe's edge to know if this was real; it hurt and a drop of blood ran out. I stared at it for a moment then drove my finger to my mouth and stood up.

"Calm down." I said with my thumb between my lips and walked upstairs. Closing my door's room I let the axe on the desk and grabbed a basket and began to pack up my winter clothes and my blanket. Gods, I'm _leaving_ ; I am _really_ leaving. A tear leaved my eye and I didn't try to stop it, instead I bit my lower lip as more tears made their way down to my chin.

In the morning I went for my tools to the smith and got ready Toothless' saddle replacements, they didn't fit on the satchel so I need to go for them now, they would fit in here. "What else do I need?" I whispered and headed to the kitchen, I grabbed some bread, dried fruit and salted fish and put them on a little bag, it wasn't much but enough to survive a week at least; then returned to my room to get it into the basket.

Taking off the vest I grabbed the harness and put it on adjusting the belt and straps as I eyed the desk with my axe. I sat down on the chair with a sigh and glared at the blank and scribbled papers; I took a charcoal pencil and an empty paper, I couldn't leave without an explication.

How do I begin? Hey! I befriended a dragon I don't want to kill them anymore and gotta go? How do you even explain this? I tough it for a moment then began to write, no, wait; do I begin with Dad or with Chief? Stoick would be too weird same as _Chief_ , he would think these are bad news… these _are_ bad news… let's go with Dad.

_"_ _Dad,"_ I stopped; what was I doing? I looked again to the paper completely lost. Right, telling him how much I fucked up. I sighed not knowing what to write again; I quickly tapped the desk with the pencil as I thought then grabbed it right ready to write, nope, I lost it again, "AGH!" I covered my face with my hands and rubbed it for a long moment; I looked at the paper with my hands on my hair for another long moment.

With a sigh I grabbed the pencil, _"Dad, the day of the last raid I went to the forest, I wanted to find the Night Fury I was so sure I took down, I did. I took it down and found it on the woods, wounded and trapped, I tried to kill him but I couldn't."_ I stopped myself and took a deep breath before following, _"Instead, I let him free and he escaped. The next day I searched for him again, I found him trapped on a cove not far from Raven Point. I had ripped out one of his tail fins and he couldn't fly. I made him a prosthetic so he could fly again but he can't without my help. I have got to know him and now I know they are not what we think they are, he haven't attack me since I freed him, they aren't bloodthirsty beasts, they can be gentle and playful. I have made my decision; I'm leaving Berk with him. Tell the Village whatever you want I don't care anymore what they think. I know what doing this means and I know I can't return but I'll take the risk if it means he is safe. I cannot kill them, I do not want to. I am not a Viking, I will never be. Hiccup."_

I sighed as I stared at the paper and read it again; my eyes felt dry for crying but I had stopped minutes ago. I felt emptiness on my chest but at the same time like if it were filled of pure iron. I couldn't move; I just could sit there and stare at the letter.

It was stupid. Full of frustration I took the paper and made a ball out of it and threw it to the wall in front of me, it glanced off and hit me on the face. "Ow!" the paper fell to my lap and to the floor as I rubbed my nose.

Picking up the ball of paper and unfolding it on the desk I released a sigh still thinking the note was stupid but I couldn't do better. I had no head for it. I always had been good with words but I had never came across with a situation like this, neither a goodbye in this way… forever.

Standing up I took my helmet by the horns and took it off, looking at my weird reflection on it, a sob leaved my lips and I tried to kept it inside making it worse. Putting the helmet down I cover my mouth with my hand and use the other as support in the desk. _"Wear it proudly. You deserve it."_

No. I didn't.

My shoulders shivered as more tears made their way down. I couldn't carry with my weight anymore and fell on my knees, my sides hurting for the heavy breathing. I hugged myself. _She_ wouldn't be proud. She would think I am a shame, a mess, a nuisance that deserve to die. "I'm sorry, Mom." I said between hiccups.

After not long I sniffed and passed the back of my hand under my nose and dried my cheeks with my sleeve. "Okay, you need to calm yourself." I mumbled with a broken voice. "We need to go and now or someone is going to come for you." I inhale until I couldn't fit any more air in my lungs and let it all out slowly.

Rubbing my sleeves again in my face I stood up and took my things; letting the helmet with the axe and the note.

I walked downstairs and with a last look back I leaved the house.

* * *

The way to the cove was shorter than I remember, probably because I didn't put attention where I was going –it was a miracle that I didn't fell on the woods. My head was listing over and over again what I had brought and what I already had on the satchel.

The replacements, winter clothes, a warm blanket, food, old leather Gobber would not need, money (just in case); I had my knife, tools, notebooks, and the map already attached to Toothless' saddle and my fur vest over the harness… do I have everything?

I let out a sharp breath as I dropped the basket from a few rocks above the cove's ground to made my last jump inside easier. I picked it up again and put it over my right shoulder.

"We're leaving." I said out loud and searched for Toothless… weird, he always welcomes me with a friendly tackling. "We are leaving, bud," I repeated louder, "Let's pack up. Looks like you and me are taking a little vacation… forever." Toothless was nowhere in sight, "I'm not in the mod of playing." I set the basket down and opened it with a sigh and kneeled in front, "Oh, man…" I sighed and took off my vest; I needed to make sure I got everything and we needed to go _now,_ before anybody notices-

_Shink._ I looked up at the sound and saw Asher sitting on the rock in front of me sharpening his axe.

"Aggh! What the-" I gasped in shock stepping back and almost tripping with a rock, vest still on hand; He passed the tiny rock in the edge of the axe again and quickly I recomposed myself, "What are you doing here?" _How_ did he even- did he follow me? I threw a fast look to Toothless hide-spot.

Asher dropped the rock and raised his axe to examine it, "I want to know what's going on." He used the axe as support and hopped down twirling his axe threateningly making me to back off, tripping with my own foot, "No one just gets as good as you do. _Especially_ you. Start talking!" He changed the axe of hand, "Are you training with someone?"

"Uh… Training?" I stammered, my eyes searching nervously for Toothless.

"It better doesn't involve _this._ " Asher grabbed me by the harness and picked me up a little.

"I know this looks really bad, but you see… this is, uh… Ahh!" Asher pushed me to the ground at the sound of a twig snapping from Toothless hide-spot and set off to investigate passing over me; he shook his head to get his bangs off the way.

"You are right, you are right, you are right!" I stood up in panic and ran to catch up with him, "I'm through with the lies." I tried to put in front of him, "I've been making… outfits." That caught his attention.

"Outfits?" He asked and looked me up and down.

"Yes?" I said with an awkward smile.

"Like if you care what you wear." He said and pushed me aside. I stood in the same place looking him walk with my jaw a bit opened.

"What's wrong with it?" I said extending my arms to my sides in exasperation. He turned a bit and gave me a look that I had no idea what meant. "Okay, whatever, that's the true. You got me." I rushed to his side and tried to stop him "It's time everyone knew." I grabbed his hand and put it on my shoulder "Drag me back. Go ahead. Here we go," he tried to look behind me and I kept putting on his view as I talked; he gave me a last angry glare and twisted my hand backwards, driving me down, "Ow! Why would you do that?!"

I tried to get up but Asher kicked me down, "That's for the lies." Then he pounced the hilt of his axe on my stomach and it bounced back to his hand, "And _that's_ for everything else." He hissed tilting over me a bit. I yelped at the hit and hugged my stomach; the yelp was answered with a growl from the other side of the cove.

"Oh, man." I said feeble and stood up. Asher gasped and I knew it was too late.

"Get down!" he yelled and took me down again. I fell on my back with Asher's protective arm over me. We looked at the Night Fury, he was snarling, sprinting to our position; Asher rolled to a side and stood up in a second, "Run! Run!" Toothless pounced toward him and Asher pulled his axe, both ready to take on the other.

"No!" I put between the two and took down Asher by his axe, Toothless fell just behind us, I snatched the axe from Asher's grip and threw off of reach, then raised my hands to stop Toothless from crushing him. "No! It's okay! It's okay." Toothless stood in his back legs and extended his wings for balance and still trying to pass by me to get to Asher without hurting me, "He's a friend." I said calmly.

Toothless snorted in disagreement but landed softly, still snarling to Asher; I turned to him, putting my hands on Toothless' head, trying to stop him. "You just scared him."

" _I_ scared him!?" Asher almost yelled standing up without taking out his eyes from the dragon. Toothless growled and Asher backed up half a steep, "Who is "him"?" He said in an intense whisper finally looking at me.

"Uh…" I took off my hands on Toothless and point with them at him, "Asher, Toothless." Then looked at Toothless and pointed at Asher, "Toothless, Asher." Toothless answered with a snarl, showing all his teeth.

Asher kept staring at us examining Toothless' saddle and my harness. He shook his head slightly and meet my eyes, "You are _so_ busted." He turned and ran, climbing the rocks to the cove's exit without turning back once.

"Ta-da-da! We're dead." I sang; Toothless didn't seemed surprised by Asher's reaction, he just stared at him with his eyes half closed as he leaved the cove, then he just turned and walked away.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Where do you think you are going?" I picked up my vest and ran to his side trying to stop him pulling from the saddle; He snorted over his shoulder and kept walking towards his hide-spot. "Toothless! Toothless stop!" He did and sat on his haunches, giving me his back. "I didn't bring him here. He must have followed me." I said and walked in front of him but he turned his head. "Come on! We need to go for him." The dragon turned, his face said it all: _"I don't like him."_

"He's going to tell the village." I said, a tired tone in my voice. Don't understanding reasons the dragon kept stating away. "Buddy, please." He made his best to ignore me but he threw glances at me. I kept looking at him with a somewhat fake worried face until he rolled his eyes and lowered his neck to let me jump to the saddle. I forced the vest inside the satchel and hopped on, "Okay, lets go."

We took flight and soared over the trees. I looked down trying to find Asher, _damn,_ he was fast. "Down, down! We are too close!" I yelled when I saw the woods limit and a few roofs. Toothless twisted his body to return and I changed pedals before we fell. "We need to land," I said patting his neck and searching for a place where the trees weren't too close.

As soon as we landed I jumped off and ran to the village direction with Toothless at my side. "Stay here. Don't let anyone see you." I whispered and ran out of the forest.

"Asher?" I yelled, where was he?

"Yer just jealous, lad." Someone laughed as I turned in a corned and saw Asher surrounded for a group of Vikings.

"I am not." Asher said furious, remarking every word, his hands clenched in trembling fists.

"He's probably making up stories." Someone half-laughed from the back of the crowd.

"It's true!" Asher yelled but every they did was laugh.

"She sends those dragons running every time she steps in the rink!" I gave a steep back, I need to go.

"Because she uses tricks to control them!" Asher turned exasperated and saw me backing away. "See?!" he pointed at me and everyone's eyes followed his finger, "I told you! She even has an harness to hold onto that thing."

Whispers started to full my ears and more and more people began to gather on the plaza.

Then I realize where I was. The same place as some weeks ago with everyone's eyes on me. The only difference was that-

"What's going on!" A voice bummed over everyone else's. I turned to my house trail –never mind, everything is the same. He was angry and I could spot a paper wrinkled on his hand. He had already read it.

"The boy says that Hiccup's been lying and have a dragon on the woods." Someone said concerned. My head hurt, I couldn't focus my eyes on anything or anyone; just on my father's face and Asher's whose wasn't full of anger anymore he was … worried?

"It's true, sir." Asher said when the Chief turned to him, his voice shaking a little. "A Night Fury, on the woods, just southwest of Raven point. She had been disappearing off into that direction for weeks. I followed her today. She had been keeping it a secret. She- she can control them; everything she did on the Rink were tricks." He took a breath and pointed to the woods. "I-It has a saddle so she can ride on!" I stood froze on the same place staring at Asher and how much information he got in just some minutes on the cove.

Asher swallowed as the Chief turned his gaze to me. He didn't seem so sure of his actions anymore. The determination that I saw on his face when he leaved the cove wasn't there. There was almost an _'I'm sorry'_ on his eyes. _Almost._

"Hiccup, come to the house." I returned my gaze to my father's face; it was as stoic as ever. I stood put don't knowing what to do, what to say. He began to walk towards me and made it in tree long steps. I drew my hands up with my palms to him and gave a step back, "Uh, Dad-" I began to stammer, trying to find an explication but there were none.

"I said to the house." He hissed and yanked my arm dragging me to the house.

"No, Dad. _Please_ , listen!" I said as I tried to get off of his strong grip, trying to open his fingers with my hand but the only I got was to him to hurt me more. "Ouch! Dad, please. You are hurting me!"

A well-known roar –at least for me- were heard from the forest line, "No." I mouthed. A second later Toothless jumped from a roof with his wings fully opened. A black figure in an orange background for everyone to see.

"NIGHT FURY!" Someone cried out and every one that didn't have a weapon already ran for one. My father even without weapon or shield pulled me behind him.

Toothless landed on the plaza but as soon as he touched ground he pounced and tackled my father freeing me from his grip but taking me down as well.

I hit my chin on the stone-floor and after a dizzy moment I stood on my knees breathless, using my hands as support. A hand on my shoulder pulled me back, I couldn't even stand up as more hands kept pushing me away from the battle.

Looking between bodies I saw someone holding a hammer to the Chief, Toothless in front of him snarling and ready to pounce. More Vikings surrounded and attacked Toothless.

"No! Stop!" I creamed but no one heard me. I stood up trying to make my way to my dragon but they pushed me down; I fell on my back seeing how Toothless tossed everyone aside like rag dolls, his eyes were focused on the Chief.

"No, you will only make it worse!" I stand up as my father raised his hammer and charged for Toothless. The dragon ducked and pounced on him. They tumble until Toothless was over my Dad, he tried to get him off but the dragon pinned him down and inhaled. "No, NO!" The familiar hiss of gas building filled my ears.

My hands clenched in shaking fists. My chest filled with a raging fire that was threatening me for burn me from the inside. I let all the fire out in a scream. "Toothless, _STOP_!"

He did.

Toothless swallowed back the blast and turned with a confused look. He jumped off my father and walking backwards he joined my side, snarling to anyone who dared to hurt me.

But anyone moved. Theirs eyes shifted between the Night Fury and me in shock. My breath calmed but my heart was still racing. I locked eyes with my father who was standing up. My vision began to blur as tears filled my eyes.

The scene began to get darker and darker as the sun disappeared on the horizon. Toothless' tail curled around me for protection, he had stopped snarling but he kept sharp eyes on them.

Tears leaved my eyes, slowly falling trough my cheeks. I shook my head slightly, "I'm _sorry_ , Dad." My voice broke. I hopped over Toothless and we took flight before I even could secure my harness but he flew slowly.

No arrow, axe, hammer, spear, or bola were threw at us. I tightened my grip on the handle and blend myself until my forehead touched my fists. My shoulders shook as more tears escaped my eyes and almost inhuman sobs leaved my lips from deep inside.

We flew away from what had been my home. Never in my life I will return there. Toothless growled lowly and I drew my arms around his neck with another ugly sob.

We landed after a few minutes but I didn't released Toothless. He called me for my name and grabbed my arms with his gums after I didn't answer, he pulled me as softly as he could until I was kneeling in front of him; my arms helplessly hanging at my sides.

Toothless called me again and licked my sore chin. I looked up and saw my moonlight-illuminated reflection on his eyes. I was a mess. I looked away didn't wanting to see me.

Giving a steep closer Toothless passed his head over my shoulder and pushed me closer. My arms instantly hugged his neck. I needed to stop crying.

Focusing on his breath and in his drumming heart I tried to forget what had happened and tried to match my breath and heart with his.

I didn't know how much it took but I almost fell asleep with the regular _thump, thump_ of his heart on my ear. I let go and stood up, hands rubbing the tears away from my cheeks.

"Thanks, buddy." My voice shook a little. I put my hand on his muzzle and Toothless purred at the touch. I smiled and jumped to the saddle. "We need to get out of here." I said looking around; we were in the same island of last night.

Returning my gaze to where I knew were Berk I gave a last sigh for the place. "Winter is coming. We need to travel south, to a warmer place." Finally getting my eyes away of what was my home I pointed south, "Crossing the fog-wall and away from the Archipelago." I rubbed Toothless neck, "We will rest when we are out."

Toothless nodded and opened his wings. I didn't look back this time.


	8. New Life

We kept soaring over the sea as the sun set behind us, heavy, dark clouds moving toward us. Toothless groaned bellow me, I pat his head reassuringly. It had passed almost a week since we leaved Berk. In half a day we leaved the Archipelago and rested in a little island we found outside the fog-wall. After that we haven't touch ground.

Flying south for three days, we fund noting. Toothless insisted to go east and had passed… two days? Yeah, I think it has been two days.

A cold breeze blew and I shivered. I had put my fur-vest with the fur inside –like always in winter- and used my waistband to keep it close. Even with that, long sleeves, and a dragon radiating warm, I was freezing.

I let my cold-numb fingers play in the handle, stretching them to get the cold away, and squinted my eyes to force myself to look into the approaching darkness. I sighed and bended my body until my forehead touched my hands.

Never in my life I had got out of the Archipelago but I knew there were something else. Traders go in and out of the fog-wall often. I had heard Trader Johan speak of many adventures he had outside acquiring his goods. And where would be the romans if there were no more land? Norway surely was close… r-right?

Little drops fell on the back of my head and neck, "No," I groaned as more and more fell on my back; I twisted a little my head to look up between half-closed eyes. A large blanket of tar-black clouds sheltered us. "Perfect." I muttered and returned my head to its previous position.

Toothless growled after I-don't-know-how-many minutes and I felt his ear-plates going up. I raised a little my head to look forward and saw a big shadow resting on the ocean that was getting closer.

Wait. It wasn't getting closer. _We_ were getting closer. It was an island!

I smiled and half a sigh, half a laugh leaved my lips as I looked down to Toothless who was looking back to me with a gummy smile. I returned my gaze forward and looked at the island with new hope.

We could rest, we could eat. I could cuddle with Toothless, get warm and let his body block the cold air.

A new energy shook us. Toothless darted toward the island and I couldn't stop smiling; even the cold seemed to fade and the rain didn't bother me.

As we got closer I could see better the island: tall cliffs and sea-stacks adorned with trees that had been hit by winter, letting them almost naked.

And something else.

Light.

Squeezing my eyes I tried to figure out what were the source of the flickering light but I could only see more shadows.

The island curved out and we landed on the other side; a mass of trees blocked my view. I jumped to the floor as soon as we landed and began to sprint into the forest. Toothless quickly caught up and stopped me.

"I think I saw something." I simply said and got my vest out of his mouth to keep running forward. Toothless groaned but followed.

The black dragon's breathing was slow and steady; his paws made no sound when touching the ground, even with all the dead leaves on it. I could be silent and sneaky, one of the perks of being me: I'm light of feet. Well, I'm light, period.

But even then my steps were a thunderstorm compared to his.

We slowed down as the forest ended on a cliff. I got to my knees and crawled the last steps to the edge to look down; Toothless following close.

Bellow us was a dock. Illuminated with torches all the way to a ship. In land were a few big, metal cages and wooded boxes and barrels full of… weapons, I guess. A man was shouting orders as the crewman ran for the barrels and began to roll them to the ship.

We were too far to understand what he was saying but I had already understood the situation: "Pirates." I whispered as I returned my gaze to the ship, "I'm going down."

Toothless quickly pulled me from the neck of my vest and sat me away from the edge before giving a scold-growl.

"Toothless-" I began but he cut me off with another growl. "I know it's dangerous." I rolled my eyes and got to my feet, "But they surely have clothes. It's just the beginning of the winter and I'm already freezing." I tried to explain. The dragon growled worriedly and pushed his muzzle on my stomach; I hugged his head, "I'm just going in, take some clothes and money, and get out. Easy and simple."

He pulled away a little to look at me; I smiled and caressed his forehead reassuringly. "I'll be fine. They wont even notice me."

The dragon gave a step to my side and lowered his neck so I could jump on the saddle. I did and Toothless drove me down and soared over the ship, camouflaged by the cloudy night-sky.

I put my feet off the mechanism; it wasn't that sensitive so it wouldn't move by its own. Crouching over Toothless back I waited a little until the men leaved the ship for another load then jumped down to the mast.

My foot slipped on the wet wood; landing not so gracefully on the yardarm and almost falling, I got to hold to the yard, hugging it with legs and arms.

I got to my knees, cursing my clumsiness, and looked up trying to find Toothless in the dark. Looking down to check no one were close, I returned my attention to the hided dragon. "Go to land, I can make my way back." I got a growl in response.

Taking a rope from the mast I made my way down. As soon as my feet touched the deck a door swung open. I quickly took a step back and hided behind the mast; my back pressed to it. Heavy steps walked closer and I closed my eyes and prayed to the gods to whoever it was to stop. The person began to round the mast; I gave a step to my right to keep hiding and the person stopped again.

I gave a sneak peek turning a little to my right and caught a man looking up. Damn, he had heard Toothless. It was the man who was shouting orders. I took a moment to examine him while he was distracted: he was tall and the muscles of his arms were well marked; he wore a light-brown sleeveless tunic that ended on his tights; a big blue and white waistband, over it a belt with a sword hanging on his left hip; dark-blue pants covered his legs and light-brown bots his feet.

He had long, dark hair with white strings there and there pulled back in a lose braid; high cheekbones, wide chin, and a big, round nose. In his chin were tattooed three points in line in the middle, flanked by two lines in each side.

And the only thing I could think was: wasn't he _freezing_?

His eyes leaved the sky and he returned to the dock. Now was the time. I ran to the door the man had leaved, wrenched it open only enough to squeeze between the door and the frame, and shut it close with a wince and turned.

The room was barely illuminated by a few candles resting on a desk at the side of the room. There was a big map on the wall of who-knows-where; it was filled with marks and symbols that I didn't bother to check. A few boxes occupied the rest of the space with weapons and clothes.

Was that it? No treasure chests? No piles of money? Just weapons and clothes? I expected something very different.

I walked to the desk and began opening the drawers but just found compasses, writing utensils and other things that I had no idea what they where –for mapping I suppose. What I did found that were kind of utile were a map in Norse of Scandinavia and an island called Britain. I had no idea of what was that but I rolled it and walked around the room, searching for anything that could be useful.

Picking up a large, cylinder-shaped bag, that reminded me to a quiver, I began to fill it with clothes, the smaller I could find –they all were almost the same. I found a black, bear-fur cloak that was way to big for me but I tied it over my shoulders anyway; I could use it as a blanket.

"Ha-ha!" I cheered in a loud whisper as I found a little bag full of money. I tucked it on my waistband.

"Hurry up! We should be at sea by now!" a voice bummed on the ship and was answered by more voices; I grimace looking at the door with my hands still on my waistband. I ended tying the little bag and closed the bigger one and put it on my shoulder to hurry and-

The ship began to move.

"No, no, no, no, no!" I muttered and ran for the door, opening it a bit and looked outside. Seeing everyone distracted, I got out and ran to my right to hide behind some barrels.

Peeking over a side, I saw the island getting away. I could jump. I could make my best to swim to land.

The rain began to fall heavier. "Get the munitions inside and cover the catapults." The dark-haired man said, pointing to my direction before taking a big sheet of fabric with help of two other men and went to cover a weir-looking catapult that, along with another, filled most of the space on the deck.

A man grabbed the closest barrel to the door and rolled it on its edge. I needed to move. Getting on my knees and checking no one was looking I crawled to a… thing on the right of the ship. I got the bag close to my chest and pressed my back towards… what is this thing? I looked up. It looked like a big crossbow.

I peeked over my shoulder and crawled to the next crossbow.

"Hurry up! We can't be late. You know how he gets when things are not how he wants."

Ignoring hem for a moment, I focused on the land that was getting away on the left side of the ship as it surround the island. I crouched and threw the bag on my shoulder, pushing it with my hand to stay on my back. I just needed to run to the other side of the ship and jump to the water. If they were so preoccupied for arriving on time to wherever they needed they wouldn't bother about me.

 _One_.

My eyes darted between the crewmen and the island.

 _Two_.

I stood up behind the crossbow.

 _Three_!

I ran.

I had gave a couple of steps when suddenly the ship hit something making it to shake and me to lose my balance and fall on my side.

Hide. I needed to hide. I let the crewmen worry about the impact and ran my eyes around. To my right was a big, circular metal-latch. I wasted no time and dropped the bag inside and jumped between the grids.

"What was that?" a nervous voice asked.

"Probably just a fish." A second voice said, bored.

"Are you kidding?" the first voice said, "The thing moved the entire boat!"

"Then a big fish!" the second voice replied.

"Shut it you two!" a third voice cried out.

"It was probably a shark." The second voice said, more calmly this time, "There's no Tidal dragons in this waters, if that's what you were worried about." Then there were steps coming closer. I picked up the bag and walked back and away from the circle of light. "Amateur." The man muttered lowly but he was too close for me to listen.

I didn't dare to breathe when a face looked down to the well. The rain didn't let me tell if he was looking in my direction or not but I had the feeling that I will be spotted.

Hopefully I was too away for him to see me but still I kept moving quietly until I bumped into something.

I stopped and drew a hand back; cold, metal bars, my hand took one, just in case that if we crash on something else I could hold to someth-

A hot breath stroked my back. I pursed my lips trying not to yell as my heart bummed against my chest hard and resisting the impulse of let go the bar and get away. Please, don't be a dragon, please, don't be a dragon. I didn't move. I couldn't, not until the man searching in he shadows bellow him got away.

A threatening snarl resonated on the room, I whimpered lowly. The man kicked the latch, "Shut up." He said annoyed. The snarl stopped and after a few more seconds of searching, the man walked away, "the dragons seems to be fine."

"What could you even see?" someone reproached but I didn't put attention to them anymore. As soon as he was out of sight I let go the metal bar and jumped away. The dark-brown dragon snarled, raising its horned head the more it could; its neck wasn't fully extended when it stopped.

The ship shook again, harder this time, I fell back to the rain and began to crawl to the other side of the room, don't carrying about the impact.

I have seen that dragon on the Manual, I was sure of that but I couldn't put a finger on it. Before I could began to think my back hit another metal-bar-made thing and another snarl filled the room. Slowly, I turned my head only to find three more dragons with their eyes fixed on me. My back was almost on one's mouth. I crawled back to the wall, breathing heavily.

A metal clank made me yelp, I covered my mouth in time so it couldn't be herd and looked up. "Shout it already!" another man had appeared, hitting his sword on the gate. The dragons snarled at him lowly until he leaved.

I was frozen in place with my eyes fixed above until I realized he wasn't coming back. My hand leaved my mouth and I eyed the dragons. The dragon near me I was sure I've never seen it in my life. It was bright red; a large frill adorned with dark-orange spots surrounded its head; a single sort horn and a large lower jaw with fangs popping out. Its back legs were big, like a Deadly Nadder, and its arms ridiculously short. It's crawled wings seemed too small, from my perspective, for such a big dragon.

The other two were a dark-green Gronckle and a sea-like green Nadder that seemed too young; I was sure it would barely pass me if I stood by its side.

I studied the dragons: the four of them had metal muzzles keeping them from fire the ship down and they were chained to the floor by the neck and legs. I could see dried green-blood on their scales and chains.

I looked up, "Why the heck would they have dragons in here?" What kind of pirates _captures_ dragons?

That didn't matter now. I needed to get out and I needed to help them out. I stood up slowly and got close getting snarls in responses being the only thing they could do -the muzzles impede them to shot and the tight chains to move.

But, the Nadder, they could shot spines.

I inspected the dragon's tail and found a weird leather bag covering it, tied to its end tightly with a rope. I swallowed and got close to it. It was the youngest and I got the idea that it may not be so square of mind.

It began to snarl, I said "No, no. It's OK." I gave another step and held out a hand, like I had done lots of times with the dragons at the Ring and with Toothless. "I'm a friend. I'm not gonna hurt you." It didn't stopped snarling so I stopped walking. My hand was at its reach anyway. I closed my eyes and turned my head.

After a few seconds I could feel the horn of the Nadder pressed against my hand. But warm scales and a cold metal-bar wasn't the only thing I could feel.

Fear. Distress. And relief.

Somehow I could feel the dragon's emotions, and when I opened my eyes and looked at his, I could see them in them, too.

"Don't worry." I whispered, "I'm gonna get you out of here." I turned to the other dragons saying that last part but keeping my hands on the green Nadder's jaw. I ran my fingers on the leather straps behind the young dragon's head and found how to get it off.

After thinking a second I said, "Maybe you should put your head on the floor, this thing will make a lot of noise when it falls."

The sea-green dragon flexed its legs and sat on the wooden floor with his head down. I untied the muzzle and let the Nadder free. It open and closed its jaw and squawked, nuzzling me. I couldn't help myself and giggled, caressing his horn.

"What's all that noise for?" The man I guessed was the one in charge asked and his heavy steps got close. I froze in place.

Just before the man appeared above, the Nader pulled me from the fur-cloak and dropped me behind him as the Gronckle and the other dragon covered the lonely muzzle and us.

They snarled at the man.

"Be quiet!" They didn't and the man took out his sword. For a moment I thought he would come down and make something to them; I was already planning how to get rid of him without the crew noticing so I could free the dragons.

But he slammed the sword with the latch. _Clank, clank clank_. The dragons whimpered and I had the sudden urge of punching the man right on the face.

"That's more likely." He said as he leaved, "and you better stay like that!"

I scowled at the steps up on deck as they passed over me and I decided I would call him " _Jerk_."

I returned my eyes to the green and… purple dragon? Wasn't it red?

"You change colors?" I asked in awe, the dragon's frill rumbled with the purr of the dragon's response. "I'll take that as a 'yes'" I go to my knees and searched for the knot of the bag on the Nadder's tail; as soon as I unwrap it the young dragon opened his spines.

"Whoa!" I ducked instinctively, "Easy, boy, easy." I raised my hands slowly and pat the spines down, "that's it." I said more calmly as I caressed his tail. Hey! He _likes_ it.

"Now your neck." I whispered and checked out the wooden collar. It had a big lock that I was sure I couldn't break. I passed under the dragon's neck to the other side and checked the metal hinge. _That_ I could do something about.

"I need my tools…" I muttered a little annoyed that I let my satchel on Toothless. But, it's okay; my knife could work to take out the pin. I drew my hand to the back of my belt- _Damn it_! It was on the saddle, too.

I searched around the room and found an old sword; I pulled it from under more chains –okay, half a sword. It will do the trick. I turned with the half-sword in hand and the dragons snarled.

"I'm not gonna hurt you." I stepped closer to the Nadder, "I'm going to use it to free you." They didn't calm down, the dragon that I still had no idea what was had changed to red. I extended my free hand, looking at the Nadder on the eyes and staying out of its blind spot.

After hesitating he pressed his horn on my hand and I moved to his neck. He was tense and scared, I could feel it but he trusted me too. Being careful to not hurt him I put the sword edge between the pin and the knuckle of the hinge and began to twist it. Prying the sword doesn't break it took me a good minute or so to get the pin lose.

The collar fell with a loud thud at my feet. And I herd steps coming closer; the Gronckle and the other dragon moved again and I crouched, both to not bee seen and to inspect the metal around the dragon's foot. It was like the one on their neck.

Making the same I did for the collar, I looked up but the man was already leaving. I forced the sword and the metal opened.

"Okay, who's next?" I asked putting my hands on my hips and turned to the Gronckle being the closest dragon. It shook its head and nodded to the other side of the room. "Um…" I looked to the other dragon and noticed the chains all around its body and understood fast, I said, "Fine, then you are next." The Gronckle shook its head again and pointed to the now-again purple dragon. I sighed. "As you wish."

Moving on the shadows to not be spotted from above –just in case- I got to the other side and stopped as the brown dragon raised its head again.

"It's okay, boy." The dragon snarled, "uh… girl?" I guessed and the dragon eased, I held up my hand and the dragon tilted her head before pressing it –I could feel her pain. I gave her a smile and moved to the back of her head; without asking she lowered it and I untied the muzzle. She opened and closed her mouth as the Nadder had done. Gods, that thing should be _really_ uncomfortable.

I took the half-sword again and began to twist it on the collar joint. I opened it and let the dragon extend her head. "Now the chains…" I looked around, why would they do this? I mean, she surely is a big dragon but was this really necessary?

I pat her neck and realize she wasn't chained to the floor; looking under her I saw that she didn't had legs. Something began to click on my head and I looked at her wings. All the edge seemed way too sharp. I drew my hand to it but before I could touch it she pulled me away from the cloak.

She sat me in front of her, _very_ away from her wings, like if she didn't wanted me to touch her because I could cut myself. Well, she had a good reason, I was pretty sure those wings could cut trough wood like nothing-

"You are a Timberjack!" I said louder than I should, I looked at the wings again with a growing smile and quote, "Razor-sharp wings that can slice through full grown trees." I laughed and stood up to pat the dragon's head; "I have never seen a Timberjack." She tilted her head in confusion, "That's how we call your species."

"Okay, now let's get you out of this." I got close, careful to not too close to the edge of her wings; her eyes following me close. "Unwrap it will make a lot of noise… maybe I could pull them over your head." My eyes inspected the situation as I made a mental image of it. "Yeah, that could work. I just need to…" I searched with my eyes the end of the chain and found it on the Timberjack's back. I put my hands over her wings, looking that my legs didn't touch the edge of her wing- I felt a pull from the back of the cloak as she pulled and landed me on her back.

I blushed, a little embarrassed. "Thank you." I took the hook tied to the chain end and pulled it off. Slowly I moved and let the Timberjack open her wings. I tossed the hook to the floor and began to pull the chains to her neck. I jumped to the floor and raised the chains over her horns. Slowly to not make too much noise I let the Timberjack free.

"Two done, three to go." I said, counting me, too, and moved to the dragon that I had no idea what was but it was now yellow with green dots.

Lowering its- her… uh, his?... "Uh, boy?" I asked first, the dragon nodded from the floor and I moved to the muzzle straps, then to his neck and made the same I did to the other two dragons, and then moved to the Gronckle as the ship hit something again.

After they all were free there was one steep more to freedom. I looked up and stood on the circle of rain. "I'm going up and will open the latch from above." I aid as I passed the bag over my head, letting the strap cross my chest and tucked the half-sword on my waistband; I kept looking up… how am I going to get there? I looked around for a ladder or something.

The Gronckle walked to my side and gestured to me to get up. I did and raised my arms to the latch. I held to a bar and pulled me up with some difficulty to look if anyone was there –okay, okay, with a lot of difficulty.

I sighed internally; I needed to make some muscle.

Someone put its head under my foot. I poked out of the well and looked on the deck, being just a two persons on deck I slipped trough the grids and crouched behind a catapult examining the metal latch. I spotted a reel on the side and checking again no one was watching, I moved to it, hiding behind it.

I liked my lips nervously and took the handle of the reel, "Please, muscles, don't fail me now." I whispered to myself and began to push the well open. It wasn't as heavy as I tough it would be. The dragons bellow began to growl. "Shhh! Wait…" I looked to the two men that were manning the ship and gestured to the dragons to leave.

The door sung open, Jerk and the rest of the crewmembers got out and spotted me. "Ow, crap." They unsheathe their swords and ran to us.

"Don't let the dragons scape!" Jerk said.

"Go, go! I'll follow you." I screamed and put in front of the open latch taking out the half-sword. They stopped around me and began to laugh.

"And what are you gonna do with that, lassie?" Jerk asked me. But if I had learned something as a Viking was that _anything_ could be a weapon.

"This," I said and threw the sword to him. It passed miserably over his head and hit the mast.

"I think you failed," he gave me smile that was supposed to be charming but wasn't in any way.

"I wasn't pointing at you," I said very sure of myself and all their eyes turned up, expecting that something would fall, like if that had already happen to them. But nothing did. "Stupid" I chuckled as I ran to the water. My favorite weapon: my brain.

I supported on the rail with one hand to jump. Someone graved the bag and pulled me to the deck, I fell on my back and quickly stood up to run again but the man that pulled me stepped on my way. I tried to see another way out but now I was completely surrounded. I kept looking around.

"You didn't think you could get away that easy, did you?" Jerk stepped in, "stealing our dragons with your friend."

 _Friend?_ What was he talking about?

"Where is he, anyway?" the man looked on the sky then grinned at me, "it looks like he send you alone. Though you where old enough to handle it?" Jerk gave a step to his right, walking around me. "Don't he know that leaving important things to a runt would end in a disaster?" he asked and got very close to my face.

I stepped back, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Jerk laughed along the crewmembers, "but you know about dragons. Drago will be very pissed off when he finds out that we lost his load, but…" he eyed me up and down, "I'm sure you will do."

"What?" I asked and two sets of hands with fingers bigger than my bones took me from behind. "Hey!" I tried to get off.

"Take our new guess down," Jerk told the men holding me, "Chain her." He said looking me with venom in his eyes and turned away. I screamed and fought back, but whom was I kidding, these men doubled my size and tripled my weight.

They turned me and began to drag me to the latch. _Think, Hiccup. Think!_ I looked around searching for a solution and found it on the foot of the man on my right –it was bandaged under his boot. I grinned and with all the force I could I stomped his foot.

Jerk #2 yelled in pain and let go my arm, I elbowed his stomach to take him down and used the little moment of confusion to turn on Jerk #3 and punch him on the throat. Jerk #3 instantly fell on the deck. Don't wanting to meet any other Jerk I ran again.

I herd the blade cutting the air before I saw it, I tried to step back but Jerk #1 was too close.

The ship shook again; my foot slipped on the wet deck and I fell on my butt, I thanked my clumsiness and rolled to my side before the man swung again his sword down to me; it got tucked on the wooden floor. I kicked him on the crotch and stood up.

"This was very funny, guys, but I have to go." I climbed the rail and jumped to the water, "hope I don't see you soon!" My feet had just leaved the ship when huge talons graved me by the shoulders. I looked up and saw a dragon with huge wings changing from red to yellow. I laughed.

A roar that I knew too well made me look down to the water. "Toothless!" he was the one hitting the ship?

I wanted the dragon to drop me and swim to land with Toothless but we almost were there so I waited. Toothless swam fast, he slithered trough the water just under us. The dragon had put me down carefully before landing on my side. I pat his horn and walked to the beach line. Toothless exploded out of the water and snarled.

Smiling, I gave a step forward but the dragon pulled me back, changing to red. The other three dragons flanked him. Toothless roared and I need to squeeze myself between the dragons to get in front of them.

"Calm down!" I screamed, Toothless did but kept a threatening glare. "All of you." I turned to the four dragons and after a moment they did. "He's my friend." I told the dragons, Toothless snorted as if confirming that I was his. "Shut it," I returned my eyes to him, "they helped me out."

One by one Toothless looked at the dragons and ended on me. His pupils dilated and his growl became a purr that didn't last long. He was more relaxed, still looking at them angry, I could tell he didn't like them. It was the same look he had with Asher.

I returned my head to the dragons and waited for them to calm down.

"That's more likely." I said and got to Toothless' side. He moved so I could get on. The other dragons saw the saddle and I herd them snort in disbelief. Toothless snarled and curled his tail around me, he eyed the fin I made and growled to the dragons.

They shut up but kept that look on their eyes. I didn't like it. But Toothless didn't care and lowered his neck. I rode him and looked back at the ship.

"We need to get away from here." I told Toothless and we took off and after the look the other dragons had gave Toothless I even wanted to see where they had flew to.

Toothless and I entered the forest, far away form the shore, and landed. I didn't realize I was shivering until Toothless wrapped around me. I took off the bag and lay it on the ground to use it like a pillow and covered with the cloak. He covered his head and me with his wing making a little roof for the rain.

But I couldn't sleep now.

I felt tired, yes, but even when I was angry at the other dragon there were so many questions. They had been the first dragons I saw outside the Archipelago and once again I had prove myself that dragons weren't what I had always thought.

I wanted to know what kind of dragon was that. Why had he helped me when I had already let them free? I didn't build a relationship like I did with Toothless. Or had pass days with them like with the dragons on the Rink.

I wanted to know if all the Gronckles were so caring for the others like that or if it was just the way to being of that dragon. I wanted to know why it had told me to help the other dragons first. Do they have any kind of hierarchy?

May be for age. I helped the younger first because I tough it would be easier but the other dragons actually looked older than the Gronckle. May be they had any other kind of order, by strength of something. Or was it just because the Timberjack was more uncomfortable and wounded.

I needed to know more dragons to know. I needed to study them. Gods, I could _study_ them. Like they _really_ are. What they do, if they emigrate, I could see baby dragons and see how they grow. How long it takes to get their full size, since when they could fire, the possibilities were limitless.

"How old are you?" I asked Toothless. He growled low. "Do you keep a track of that? Like… birthdays and that." He grumbled and sifted a little. "My birthday is at the end of the winter," I told him but something told me that he didn't wanted to talk. "I'm gonna be sixteen years old. How long have you live?" He rose his paw to my shoulder and moved the cloak over my head in a clearly _"Shut up."_

"Okay, okay." I mumbled and get the cloak away from my face and tried to sleep.

I felt all the energy drain me as I shut up. My eyelids closed and just before I fell asleep I felt Toothless paw on my shoulder again, but pulling me closer to him.


	9. Chapter 9

When I woke up Toothless wasn't at my side. But I didn't need him for warmth or as a roof for rain. It wasn't raining anymore and the cocoon I had made was nice and warm.

How much I had slept I've got no idea but the dried grass and my sore eyes told me it had been more than a few days.

But the nice smell of the cloak and the forest incited me to sleep more. So I closed my eyes. Of course it didn't last long because soon I herd Toothless tumbling in my direction.

The dragon nudged my stomach and called my name. I managed to get my arm out of my cocoon of fur and pushed him.

Toothless snorted and nudged me again. "Toothless stop, I want to sleep." I mumbled and rolled to my left side. The Night Fury bit the end of the cloak and dragged me. "Hey! Stop it!" I creamed, now fully awake.

He tried to get me off but the cloak was tangled on my legs. I kicked him in the snot and he released the cloak with a whimper. Toothless looked at me irritated and pulled the cloak up, along with me, and shook it until I fell out of it; one of my boots still trapped on the cloak.

"D'aw!" Before I could stand or caress my sore head he rolled me and grabbed me from the neck. "Hey! What are y- wow!" Toothless threw me to his back. I fell over my stomach, my head on Toothless' right side and my legs falling on his left, almost falling head-first.

I tried to sit right but the cloak fell over me "Hey." I pulled it aside and Toothless tossed the boot, it fell on my head then to the floor. I picked it up and used it to hit him on the leg what only helped me to get the bag tossed over me.

I let him carry me wherever he wanted as I sat right and put my boot on. I had just put the cloak over my shoulders when a squawk made me look up.

In front of us, on the edge of a cliff was a young sea-green Nadder. I laughed and jumped to the ground. The Nadder welcomed me with nuzzles. I patted his horn and turned to Toothless.

"I thought you didn't like them." He let out a low growl that I didn't know what mean. The Nadder said something too and pointed to something over the edge.

"I guess we are going." Toothless nodded and I jumped to the saddle.

…

We flew for a while, the chilly air kept me awake. But the island was no longer in sight and I was getting worried this will take long.

My stomach had begun to make noises a few minutes ago and it hurt. I didn't have the count of days since we leaved anymore. I had no idea since when I haven't eat. But it had been long.

"Were are we going?" I asked, Toothless pointed ahead, I interpreted the gesture as _'we are close.'_

"I'm hungry." I mumbled, Toothless began to search down and made an asking noise. I followed his eyes to the sea bellow us.

"Uh, no, thanks." He looked at me a little annoyed, a _'you said you were hungry.'_ "Yeah, but eat raw things can make me sick." He made a sound that sound a lot like "oh!" in its own dragon way.

We kept flying and I kept cursing myself for not seeking food on the ship.

"How long is this gonna take?" I asked after not long, Toothless shrugged. "Do you even know where we are going?" He shook his head. "Great." I groaned and my stomach made a similar sound. "Next time ask where we are going first." Toothless made a mock-annoyed sound that sounded like what I just said. I smacked his ear-plate, "Don't imitate me!"

Toothless snarled and looked back at me annoyed. I leaned forward and stuck out my tongue. He took the chance and shook his head to hit me with his ear-plates. "Ouch!" I was about to hit him again when we heard a laugh.

The Nadder was looking at us but as soon as we turned to him he returned his eyes forward and shut up. I sighed and rested back, extending my arms to Toothless' wings and let them move up and down with Toothless.

The sun was on the top of the sky and kept moving as we did. I calculated to be two of the afternoon when I saw land. At first I though it was an archipelago as the first thing I saw was little islands but as we kept flying over them the ground stopped being fractionated in islands, it was a huge mass of mountains and forests covered in snow that extended and extended to the horizon and beyond.

My heart was racing at full speed and I chocked out a little laugh; there _is_ something else out there.

Toothless shared my excitement, but not for the same thing. He kept looking down to the snow. But we didn't land in the forest; we kept flying to a mountain with edges almost horizontal and landed at the entrance of a cave. I jumped to my feet to look down. It would be very difficult if not impossible for a human to climb.

The Nadder entered but my attention was drawn to the stone at the entrance of the cave. Green dragon-blood marked the walls, along with claws.

Toothless called me and without taking my eyes from the blood marks I get to his side. We followed the Nadder inside. It got too dark for me to see so I kept close to my dragon and let he guide me.

After gods-know-how-long I began to hear roars, growls and screeches echoing in the walls. A shiver ran down my spine, I could recognize whom they belong to anywhere. I forced the knot on my throat down as I saw light again.

My jaw dropped, we arrived a warm cavern, illuminated by big wholes on the top where vegetation were slipping inside. But that wasn't the amazing part: the cavern was full of more dragons I could count, of every color and size possible.

There were little nests made of rocks where big dragon-eggs where laid. Baby dragons running everywhere, racing with other species between their parents' legs, some trying to fly but their wings where too short for raise them more than a few inches.

My heart itched a little. A nest, I had entered in a dragon nest. I don't think any Viking -any _human_ \- had seen a nest.

Toothless tensed at my side and I could feel his anxiety radiate from his body, letting a weird feeling on my hand that was still on his neck. But I could only look in awe as a smile slowly formed on my lips.

I chuckled out a laugh and gave a slowly step forward, "Dragons…" I could literally feel my eyes sparkling with excitement. One by one the dragons began to notice our presence until almost all of them were looking at us. My smile faded a little and I retuned to Toothless side, shearing his anxiety.

Some dragons changed from yellow to purple as they inspected me and I quickly recognize them; they were like that dragon I freed. One of them stepped forward and my eyes caught the green blood on its neck and legs. Our eyes meet and I smiled wide as he changed back to yellow and walked towards me.

I rose my hand to his horn and pated him, "Hello there, how you going?" I checked his neck; it didn't look pretty, I grimaced. The dragon turned to Toothless and growled lowly; Toothless growled too. I had no idea of what they just said but they didn't seem angry anymore.

The rest of the dragons didn't mind us anymore and continued in whatever they were doing. Toothless snorted to get my attention and shook his head, indicating to follow. I gave the dragon one last pat and walked inside the cavern, following the sea-green Nadder at Toothless' side.

It was odd that they weren't trying to attack me, they barely looked at me, and if they did it was with _curiosity_.

We walked around the nests -avoiding the baby dragons running everywhere-, I wanted to wander around, watch what the dragons where doing, see the eggs, see the babies. But I kept walking at my dragon's side, a hand over his neck so he could guide me without me looking where while my eyes were going everywhere.

Count the dragons where impossible; count the adults could be reasonable but the babies and the ones that look younger couldn't stay in one place for a long time. Seemed they weren't as different as Vikings, huh?

What _could_ be possible was check out the species. Our little walk had let me see Gronckles, Deadly Nadders, that species that changes colors, Timberjacks, Terrible Terrors –gods, the babies one where hilarious-, and another new species: it looked a lot like a Timberjack but this one had a pair of back legs and it's body was wider, not so snake-ish. The horn on the snot was larger than a Timberjack but the ones of the head were shorter and went sideways before backwards unlike the Timberjack.

But what was more notorious –aside of the legs because to be honest just a dragon-nerd could notice the horns thing- was that all of them had a white skull, the color faded on it's neck and changed to the actual color of the dragon; its claws and end of the tail were white too and the end of the wings were decorated with the same color.

I got my eyes away from the dragon and looked down, "I'm a nerd." I whispered. I really wish Fishlegs were here; he would share the same excitement I had.

We stopped and I raised my eyes to a blue dragon with a white skull. The sea-green Nadder bowed, lowering its head; the blue dragon looked at him and nodded, the Nadder raised and the other dragon turned at us. Toothless bowed and after a second he gestured me to do the same with a slightly alarmed look.

"Oh!" I mouthed and put a knee down and lowered my head a little alarmed too, feeling like if I just disrespected the dragon in some way. But I couldn't contain a smile anyway; my excitement was bigger than any fear.

So I peeked through my bangs, the blue dragon inspecting us, especially me. I was no fool. The dragon was some kind of leader for the dragons in this nest, a nest where we didn't belong, where _I_ didn't belong at all.

It tilted its head and made an asking sound. Toothless rose up so I hesitantly did too. The Night Fury growled something but the blue dragon shut him with a snarl then looked at me. Toothless eyed me nervous and tried to speak again but the blue dragon shut him with a look.

Toothless looked down and leaved my side. Why- why was he leaving? In the second he did my fear won over the excitement. I gulped and looked at the blue dragon that was slightly opening its wings and raising its head until its log neck didn't allowed it more. I felt smaller.

More eyes fell on me as the scene caught the attention of more dragons. The blue dragon looked at me from above with a very inquisitive eye and I had to give a step back. What does it want me to do? Didn't Toothless explain that I don't understand what dragons mean?

Of course he had, or at least tried but the dragon shut him up. The dragon-leader asked again, this time to me; but I didn't understand. Understand Toothless is one thing, he is the first dragon I befriend and the one I have spent more time with. I know his behavior so I can figure out what he means with all those looks and gestures. Because I know _him_. And I feel a connection with him that I don't feel with other dragons; I feel warmer, I feel… entire.

The blue and white dragon growled lowly, getting out of my thoughts. "I-I…" I stammered, not knowing what to do. I managed to get my eyes away from the leader and searched for Toothless on the crowd of dragons that gathered around me; he was sitting at the Nadder's side. I asked with my eyes what should I say but he wasn't the only one who understood the sight.

The leader turned to Toothless and warned with a glance that he wasn't allowed to speak. Toothless curled his tail around him and looked at the fin in silence in a gesture that said that he would not talk. But that gesture had another meaning and I could understand it: his tail.

And still I couldn't understand the question. What does his tail have to do whit anything? Okay, Hiccup, don't be stupid; it is their leader, you just arrive to their territory. If this were a human situation what would you do? Explain why I'm here. But why the tail? I sighed internally; if this were a human situation it would be easier and less scary.

Then it hit me. The tail. It had to do with everything, it was the reason I was here; if it weren't for that unfortunate accident I wouldn't have even leaved Berk.

"M-my name is Hiccup," I began, "I come from a Viking island where life is kill dragons or be killed by them," the dragons listening snarled at the mention of _'kill'_ but I continued, "and before some weeks ago I wasn't any different than those Vikings," I said even when it wasn't fully true.

"I shoot down Toothless; he was trapped, hurt, and I was ready to kill him." The dragons snarled again, they didn't like that word. I turned my eyes to Toothless, he was a little distressed for the behavior of the dragons, he was worried for me but we locked eyes and he relaxed. "But something stopped me. When I looked at him –at his eyes-, I saw…" fear, "myself." It was hardly a whisper; my head drowned in the memory of his frightened look, on his heavy breaths as I raised my knife, on how he had give up.

I realized I had been quiet for a little while so I shook my head to focus, "I couldn't kill him so I set him free. I fed and heal him, and when I realized I had tear off half his tail I made a new one. We call it a "prosthetic", it replace your missing limbs." I explained knowing that dragons wouldn't understand what a prosthetic was, I had explain it to Toothless, too, the first week with it.

"I made my best to get Toothless in the air again. I couldn't manage to make him do it by his own so we worked as a team; now he's my best friend." Toothless nodded proudly and tilted his head to the Nadder. I nodded in understanding.

"I refused to kill dragons after I met Toothless so I ran away from my island. A week later we found a ship and found he and other dragons trapped inside." I said as I gestured the Nadder, "I help them out and they helped me. This morning he brought us here." And that was it.

Toothless joined me as the leader thought about what I said, looing between the Nadder, the other dragon I freed, and Toothless and me. They had already explain it, hadn't they? It just wanted to hear it from me.

The blue and white dragon nodded to us and relaxed, lowering its head. I wanted to touch it, like I do whit every dragon I meet but thought it could be disrespectful in some way so I didn't. Instead I smiled at it.

Toothless in the other hand roared, letting my left ear ringing; I drew my fingers to it, trying to make it stop.

A loud crack made me look to my right, to a nest with eggs of a lovely sky-blue tone in burning coal. The eggs where cracking in hot-red lines, I walked to the nest and crouched, looking close to the hatchling eggs.

Suddenly the egg _exploded._ I yelped as the explosion send me flying back, I rose my head and looked -trough the smoke coming from my burned clothes- a blue baby Nadder landing in front of me.

The other eggs began to shake as they shattered more. I crawled back and protected my face with my arms when the eggs hatched in an explosion. Little pieces of eggshells hit my arms. After no more explosions could be heard I peeked between my arms, Nadders of different tones of blues, greens, and purples landed and looked around, their parents appeared and nuzzled the babies with their horns.

Toothless approached too, with a confused expression at my smoking clothes.

"The eggs explode?" I almost yelled. He gave me a look -the one you give someone when they don't know something that is obvious. A purple hatchling walked to me with curious eyes, "Hello, little fella." I extended my hand and the Nadder sniffed it before rubbing its head on my hand; seems they like the smell of burning clothes.

I scratched the hatchling under the jaw and it gave pleasant purrs; the other hatchlings seeing this raced to have scratches too. I laughed and used both hands to pet the Nadders.

The rest of the day passed in a flash; not long after we met the leader it leaved with a group of dragons, letting my bag on the nest, Toothless and I followed too. We spent like an hour or so collecting fish –in the dragon way that basically was flying straight to the water and catching as more fishes as you could, of course I ended soaked from head to toes- then returned to the nest to throw everything trough the holes on the top of the mountain.

Everyone ate from the pile of fish; I set on a campfire to roast mines and to get dried. The dragons were very impressed by the fact that I could make fire by my own. I didn't realized how hungry I was until I began to roast the fishes and regret not taking more when I finished my fifth fish- gods, I _really_ was hungry, never in my life for more hungry I was I had ate more than three.

The rest of the day I played with the baby dragons and the younger ones, some of the older joined too to the game that basically consisted in chase me. It wasn't that hard for them but it was funny how baby dragons tried to take me down by pulling at the bottom of my vest and tunic.

Of course they had find a way to make me trip and then climb on me to declare that they –once again- had won. They enjoy biting my clothes and hair a lot; though they learned that if they bite _me_ huts me, that hadn't stop them from doing it but at least they do it softer.

So by the end of the day I was dead tired and hungry again. Toothless and I went for more fish, this time I let the cloak and vest in the nest. We didn't gather as mush as we did in-group earlier and I ended soaked again but it was enough for Toothless and me and some to share.

Most of the dragons on the cavern gathered around the campfire, fascinated again by my fire, Timberjacks played special attention when I was doing it. And as the night fell, the fire illuminated the place.

I rested back on Toothless and looked up, to the dark night sky decorated with thousands of stars and watched as it began to illuminate green with the Northern Lights.

And since the first time since I leaved I felt nostalgic about Berk; winter nights last longer and Northern Lights illuminate Berk's skies with beautiful colors, and let's not begin about the sunsets, even when watch a sunset on a back of a dragon was beautiful, I haven't seen one as pretty as one from a cliff of Berk… of the cliff where Dad and I used to see sunsets from…

I sighed and looked down to the fish I was roasting, not hungry anymore. I put it aside and hugged my knees. Toothless growled at my side, looking me with a worried expression. But I kept my eyes on the fish, even that made me nostalgic. No more I would eat Gobber's yak noodle soup or my aunt Helga's special yak meat marinated in butter and her secret ingredient.

When I was younger and I couldn't stay alone in my house when Dad leaved for the nest, I stayed with my cousin. We fought a lot, he always won our little battles since he was stronger, but I always dumbed him with sassy comebacks –actually, I think those days where when I began to use sarcasm as self-defense.

Though, Helga didn't want us to fight because we always ended breaking something, so she promised she would make her special yak meat if we played nice. It was hard resisting my sarcasm since it was the only way I could defend myself from Snotlout but we made deals to kept it together until our fathers returned, all for the shake of her special meal.

So, if we resisted all the time without a fight she would cook it for us, and if we where lucky she even gave us one precious biscuit covered in fresh honey. I laughed a little at the memory of little Snotlout and me; he was a chubby kid and I was a walking noddle.

I sighed again, now I was condemned to eat roasted fish, I couldn't cook. I was an outlaw, I couldn't stay anywhere to do so, word spreads and soon people would know what I did. I see nothing wrong with it because I _know_ it's not wrong. But people would only see that I preferred a dragon to Vikings. I had rather leave with a dragon than stay with my tribe. In everyone's eyes I would just be a traitor.

Toothless growled worriedly again, "It's fine, Toothless. I just-" I looked to the sky again, "I wonder how they are doing in Berk…" I said softly. To be honest I was expecting a purr of consolation a you-are-not-alone gesture, but what I got instead was a smack in the head from Toothless' tail.

"Hey!" I rubbed my head and looked at Toothless, "They are not that bad." I complained and the Night Fury gave me a skeptical look, I hugged myself, caressing my left arm where my father's grip was. I softly pressed my fingers, it still hurt; I knew I had a bruise, even when I hadn't taken my tunic off, not even when I was soaked in cold water. I didn't want to see it.

"He was just trying to-" I looked down, "protect me." I stopped touching my arm, "He _always_ was trying to protect me," I said and was surprised of how harsh my voice was. Toothless rolled his eyes and rested his head on his front legs, still disapproving my father's actions.

"Don't be so hard on him." Toothless snorted, "He wasn't always like that… at least that's what Gobber says." Toothless looked at me, wanting an explanation. "Before he only was in his "Chieftain mode" when he deal with the village's problems but… he acted like that all the time after Mom… died. That changed him." I hugged my knees again; Toothless raised his head and looked at me with troubled eyes. "I don't remember her," I said softly, "I was too little when she- she was carried away for a dragon."

There was a long moment of silence where I didn't knew if ask or not and I end doing it, "Did you…" my voice faded, I cleared my throat and tried again, "did you ever saw a Viking carried to your nest?"

Toothless shook his head slowly. She was dead; I knew. There was no way she would have survive after all this years. But, what I know about dragons now, I am in a dragon nest and they never tried to attack me. Then why? How?

Maybe Toothless was too young and it happened before. Maybe he wasn't in the nest when it happened. Maybe they dropped her in the ocean. Maybe a shark ate her. Maybe she died for the freezing water.

I felt the tears too late, they where already on my cheeks and I couldn't stop them. Toothless cooed and nuzzled my side until I opened my arms and let him rest on my lap. He kept cooing as I caressed his scales.

"Did you had a family?" I asked, trying to change the subject. "In the nest?" Toothless growled a _'No.'_ "but- your parents?" he raised his head and pointed out. I frowned, trying to figure out what that meant. "You didn't hatch on that nest, did you?" He growled a _'No.'_ again. "Then from where are you from?" for a second I thought about this nest and maybe that's why he wanted to come here but he didn't knew where the nest was, the Nadder guided us.

The Night Fury looked up in silence; I didn't understand what that meant but I knew he missed it, his eyes held longing. I smiled at him, he was as homesick as I was; the difference is that I couldn't return and he could.

"You can go there, you know?" I broke his thoughts and his ear-plates shoot up, "We can go wherever we want to. Where no one has _ever_ go. And nothing will stop us." I ended with a grin.

His eyes sparkled with excitement and he began to give me little licks on the face. I laughed and pulled him away, holding him from the jaw. I let my forehead rest on his and I could feel his emotions, he was sad for what I said of my mom but he was mostly happy because he would go to his nest. My heart still itched for the memories I had brought out this night but I let Toothless happiness fill me.

Toothless exhaled, a long and warm exhale that made me fell warmer and not just physically. And I knew I wasn't alone. I had Toothless and he wasn't going to left me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I upload this story 9 chapter at once because I had already posted them on Fanfiction.net and I decided I would post them here too. From now I'm going to post at my regular time that is once-a-while since it's actually not regular.


	10. "Happy" Snoggletog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Snoggletog week and almost everyone on Berk was happy for the Holyday, almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Snoggletog and it's time to check your helmets for gifts! What did you found? This chapter? Great! Because it's my little Snoggletog gift to all of you!

 

Snoggletog week is supposed to be happy. And it was, at least for the rest of Berk. Kids where running all around trying to help in decorations but most of the time their help was as wanted as the twins'. Even when the kids _did_ help they often get on the other's way.

But when Hiccup leaved a weird darkness consumed the village. My father said that hadn't happened since Valka died. The chief barely leaved his house leaving Spitelout in charge.

A day hadn't pass since her outcast and he was already shouting around that his son was now the heir to Berk's throne. Even when Stoick still could chose a heir Spitelout declared, that being his cousin, his son should be the heir so Berk's chieftain were still in the family.

Everyone was acting more normal and happy since it has been three weeks but the chief was still locked inside his house –I have just seen him twice. "It's like when she died." My father had said, "He doesn't get out, he doesn't take care of the village, the dragons in the arena escaped, no one knows how, and he didn't bothered to see what happened!"

My mother hadn't like his attitude and told him to leave the man alone; he had just lost his only daughter. Father said he should get over it and then said something even worse, "Hiccup is a _traitor_ , at least Valka _died_." After that I had leaved the table and climbed the stairs to my room, shutting the door after me.

Hiccup had become as unspeakable as her mother. And still everyone talked about her. In whispers every Hooligan gossiped, of how she had tricked the village in the arena, of how she _did_ leaved after every training session to the forest and she didn't returned until night.

But even when I hadn't told anyone and anyone had noticed. Even when I tried my best to hide it even from me, even when it had been weeks since she left… I felt a huge weight on my chest for doing what I did.

One day father had said I did the right thing reveling her betrayal. That day I knew I had done no right and the weight on my chest grew. But what other words where you expecting from a man who disowned his own brother for feeling fear?

I entered the Great Hall rubbing my arms to warm myself. As soon as I closed the big gate and walked inside I felt better. I shook the snow off my shoulders and walked to the table where Fishlegs and the Thorston's twins were discussing.

"I'm just saying it would be totally cool." Tuffnut said.

"Yeah, and it would be worth the risk." Ruffnut said after a drink from her mug.

"First of all, there is no Whispering Deaths in Berk, you would need to travel off the island." Fishlegs told them," And second, you would probably get yourself killed _before_ you get too close-"

"Hey, Asher! Would you ride a dragon?" Ruffnut cut Fishlegs mid-sentence.

"What?"

"I would totally ride a Whispering Death." Tuffnut said and I sat at Fishlegs' side.

"You are joking…" I said slowly, with this two you never know when they are talking seriously.

"Is this my joking face?" Tuffnut said leaning in his elbow and looking me in what I suppose was a serious face.

I rolled my eyes, "Why would you want to ride a dragon?" The twins laughed.

"Oh, my friend, you are being very close-minded."

"Here we go again." Fishlegs whispered and the twins began to ramble about how awesome would be to control a dragon. Their idea was basically set fire to everything.

"You know, they actually could be very helpful." Fishlegs said after thinking about the subject a little.

"What? Fishlegs, you too?" I said incredulously turning to him on the bench.

"Wow, Fishlegs. I didn't know you had a destructive mind!" Ruffnut said in awe.

"I think we are progressing in him." Tuffnut 'whispered' to his sister with a hand at his mouth's side.

"No, really, think about it." I raised an eyebrow to him, "Take for example a Timberjack, if you can control them they could chop wood in minutes when a Viking could take hours. Dragons are faster than Vikings, travel from island to island would be faster." Fishlegs started, "And let's not talk about the protection they could give to attacks from-"

"Okay, okay. I've got it, Fish'" I said, drawing a hand up to stop him, "But… you are not seriously thinking about… training a dragon." I said, it even _sounds_ wrong. How could you _train_ a dragon? "Aside it is insane, that's why Hiccup was outlawed."

"Basically she outlawed herself," Snotlout said behind me and sat at my side, he was right, by now (thanks to his father) everyone knew about the letter Hiccup let to Stoick. "And they _could_ be helpful on war."

I stared at him and the others, one by one. "You can't be serious!" I almost yelled, "Dragons are the enemy." I said remarking every word.

"Yes, we know, Asher." Fishlegs said slowly to calm me down.

"Then why you act like you don't." I lowered my voice at its normal volume.

"You have to admit, if we could control them…" Ruffnut began.

"They would be pretty useful at war." Tuffnut completed and added, "Burn down everyone's ships, no survivors."

" _Hiccup_ can control them and she could turn them against _us_!" Snotlout put a hand on my shoulder.

"Asher, I know Hiccup. She is not the… violent kind. At least not physically, just verbal." Snotlout said. I knew. I knew Hiccup too. She would never hurt anyone, that's why I needed to be the best, to prove her father I could protect her- I-I mean- what?

I bit my lower lip and stared down, cursing myself for thinking about her like that again and moving my thoughts back to the conversation. "She wouldn't hurt anyone unless she is _really_ pissed off." Snotlout continued. "She is smart, she wouldn't stay close to the island. With that dragon she probably is at the other side of the Archipelago by now. May be she even left." Snotlout shrugged.

"A Night Fury would have at lest speed 16," Fishlegs added, "she could leave the Archipelago in a few days. If she leaved, she probably is _very_ far from here."

"And don't you think we had give her enough reasons to be pissed off?" I asked them, "Yes, she _probably_ leaved. But she can come back." I gave them no chance to talk and added, "If she _really_ can control dragons and she comes back, I don't think we could have a chance against her." The doors opened before any could answer me, everyone's attention turned to them for a second to see who entered. It was just Spitelout.

Snotlout groaned and looked away. He was angry with his father; he didn't like him walking around like if he's the chief and less that he had declare him as heir. For years Snotlout had told Hiccup that she wasn't material for chieftain and that the village would be better at his hands. I don't know if he really meant it or not but now that was the moment he didn't like it.

Snotlout may be a good Viking. He may be a better Viking than Hiccup was. But he didn't like responsibilities, didn't like to stay put in the same place, didn't followed orders, and I was sure he was going to make his father notice it.

The conversation dropped. I stood up for food and when I returned they where talking of other thing. I joined the conversation as long as it took me to eat but I leaved the Hall when I finished.

I didn't know where to go, I just didn't feel like talking, even to my friends so I took Hiccup's steps and leave to the woods for some quite time. I let my feet drive me trough the forest, letting footsteps on the snow.

Taking out my axe from by back I began to swing it around, just because it felt right in my hand. It was the only thing that felt right. I untied the string that allowed me to hang it like a bag so I could play better with it.

I didn't know where I was when I stopped but I looked around a found a tree with big rots and, moving the snow out of the way, I sat in the cold dirt between two of them. I let the axe at my side and hugged myself to keep warmth.

The weight on my chest crushed me, like a hand with a cold grip around my heart. I buried my face on my hands with a groan and forced me not to cry. Not again. But after tree weeks I still couldn't get her out of my head.

After tree weeks I still couldn't get to stop worry about her. And deep down I knew I would never stop. Whatever happens to her wasn't my problem anymore.

But I couldn't get her face out of my head. And for a moment I let me wonder again, what would have happened if I had let her explain what she wanted to explain? What would have happened if I had listened? What would have happened if I hadn't talk?

She had been determinate to leave, to keep her stupid Night Fury safe. Whatever I could have done wouldn't change anything. But the "what if-s" where still there.

And I regret it. I regret it so much. Because even if she had leaved, she had chose to do it at our backs and I had ruin that. I had made her confront the village, confront her father and I can't get her terrified face when she saw I was delaying her out of my head. Neither when she saw her father. Then was when I realized I had screwed it.

Now, I can't get her expression away, when she saw me, when she saw her father, when he took her in a grip that even I could feel, when the Night Fury and Stoick began to fight, how she screamed for them to stop but everyone just shoved her off, I wanted to help her stand up, to drive her away from a battle she wouldn't want to see. But I was the last person she would have wanted help from.

And her eyes, her precious green eyes that I always loved so much, drowned in tears that shouldn't be there and that I could only feel responsible for.

Yes, she outlawed herself, and yes, she decided to leave. But not in that way, and _that_ was my fault. But she wasn't here anymore; she wasn't a Hairy Hooligan and I should stop carrying about her.

I took out a wooden bracelet from the bag in my belt and rolled it in my fingers. It was Hiccup's Snoggletog's present. I had spent weeks craving it, giving it details that I never ended. Finishing it was as senseless as my feeling for her since she left.

I looked at her name inside the bracelet and grip it in my hands, "Happy Snoggletog, Hiccup." I whispered and after a moment I let it on the ground and stood up to return to the village.

* * *

Days where getting cooler outside but inside the nest where as warmth as the day I arrived. I don't really know how much had passed since then but if I thought then where a lot of hatchlings running around a few days ago the rest of the eggs exploded. Even the dragons got away from the nests when they hatched, after the havoc the parents hurried to nuzzle and feed their babies.

It seemed that dragons liked to collect Viking things and I had found them all around the nest; some dragons had completely seize some objects but some were just scattered around. One day the dragons returned form a flight with new things. I asked Toothless and he explained it was so the hatchlings could familiarize with the smell of Vikings.

In the last weeks I had get to understand more dragons and even more Toothless; I could practically hear him talk sometimes. I had begun to question myself if I had gone crazy. I probably was but I liked to understand Toothless, I could even held conversations with him.

Between the things I had found in the nest were a fishing net that I had took the time to fix and in the new things I found another one. It smelled to fish so they like it, even when they don't know what it is. I sewed them together with what I could and explain to the queen who we use it.

Toothless had explained me how things in a dragon nest worked and that she was the queen, she protects them. When I asked about the nest back at the Barbaric Archipelago he stiffened and when any Viking would change subject he just leaved to another side of the nest. Whenever I've tried to speak about it he would do the same.

Anyway, I explained the queen how dragons could use it to get even more fish and she let me give it a try. As always she get in the water and began to swim in circles to scare all the fishes to one point, but instead of diving in and collecting fish with their mouths, four dragons where holding the net. Two did enter the water and two stayed out, flying to the school of fish and catching almost everything.

They had been fishing that way since then, and we got a lot of fish. But still everything gets over. I had tried to dry some fish but with so many dragons it was an impossible task.

Timberjacks had learned to do campfires and were more than glad to make them for me. Today they had brought way to much firewood for my usual little campfire but the Timberjacks had another idea. By down there was a huge pyramid of wood in the center of the nest that I couldn't stop seeing as the pine tree we make back on Berk for Snoggletog.

I sighed and rested on Toothless as they set the wood on fire. I didn't even know if Snoggletog had passed already or not. If I was right it was Snoggletog week, by now my father would had return from his chieftain duties, I would be sitting in front it the fireplace with a blanket over my shoulders and a mug of buttermilk while Gobber watches over the fire.

I would fix dad a mug of buttermilk as soon as he steps on the house and the tree of us would sit on the floor around the fire to talk and thank the gods for the year. Gobber would tell us all over again of how he once fought a Boneknapper and dad and I would laugh at the more dumb parts and pint out the things he didn't mention last time. We would tease him of how he actually never saw a Boneknapper but he would show us the little bone of his belt and swear it was inside the chest.

Toothless cooed at my side, _'you okay?'_ I shook my head and a tear rolled trough my cheek. Toothless moved closer and I cuddled on his neck as he purred reassurances for me, _'It okay.'_ he kept saying.

I sniffed and wiped the tears with the back of my hand, "Happy Snoggletog." I whispered, prying to the gods to carry my wishes to my father.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I wasn't planing to write this chapter but I saw GoTNF a few days ago and I just couldn't let Snoggletog out of this.
> 
> **Sorry if it's a little confusing from who the point of view is. And sorry if it was too sloppy I write this at two of the morning.
> 
> ***Hiccup will learn to speak with dragons (with screeches and that) but their "language" it's not going to be like in the books.
> 
> ****Merry Snoggletog!


	11. Unexpected Visit

Worst days of winter had pass and eventually Toothless and I leaved the nest.

It was fun and I learned a lot about dragons; little, insignificant things that no one would care because it doesn't help you to kill them. But it meat that they were smarted than we thought and still was a _lot_ to learn about them.

For example: dragons sleep in piles on winter –at least the colder days- to keep warmth; and even when they don't hibernate they do sleep a lot, even for days; but babies don't, they just sleep for a few hours and are running all around most of the day.

Since I don't sleep as much as they do, dragons took me as babysitter. Some days I woke up buried in babies. And when I tried to draw they took my pencil away and they wont give it back until they lose interest in it.

Dragons can survive weeks without food, even when they eat at least once every day -Toothless said he once didn't eat for two entire moons, I guessed he meant months, when I asked him "Aren't queens supposed to watch you have enough food?" he got away from me and pretend to sleep-.

Unfortunately, I can't survive that much. Fortunately, babies can't either. So every couple of days the queen and a little pack leaved the nest for food. Since I was going to eat too I leaved with them.

Toothless was buried in dragons or pretending to sleep most of the time when they leaved so some of the dragons let me ride them; they let me on land where I had put traps in hope a hare would get trapped. To my surprise they did and even other rodents that I didn't know what they were along with what I think was a fox. There are no that kind of animals around the Barbaric Archipelago but I had seen them in a book we had on Berk's small library.

But that had been at least a week ago. And now Toothless and I were walking on the woods. Last night a big snowstorm made us land and shelter inside a cave at the bottom of the mountain. The snow was still falling and we couldn't take fight so we decided to walk to keep moving.

Toothless was bouncing around the snow, jumping to every lump he found, before returning to my side cooing _snow, snow, snow_. I couldn't stop smiling at the overjoyed dragon. "And to think that the Dragon Manual describes you as death and lighting's child." I chuckled as Toothless rubbed his back on the snow, his tongue lolling on the side.

Slowly I took a handful of snow and made a ball out of it, I played with it on my hand before aiming to Toothless; he was too busy smelling the air to notice. With a grin I threw the snowball to the back of his head.

Toothless turned, _"We're close-_ " the snowball hit him on the face, cutting whatever he was going to say. He stared at me, face covered in snow and a bitter expression. I made my best to not laugh and pretended being surprised.

"Wow! Where that came from?" I frowned and looked around; he grimaced and growled, "What? It wasn't me!" I said but failed in keeping a smile. Toothless shoot a small fireball, I yelped and recoiled as the fire hit the tree at my side, "Hey! That almost- Agh!" A bunch of snow fell over me and I fell face-first on the ground.

Toothless laughed a dragon-laugh as I stood up shaking the snow off; I pouted at him and made another snowball. I was just going to throw it when a weird sound came in our direction, a very loud squeal.

"What the heck was that?" I asked and walked towards the sound. It wasn't a human sound, neither a dragon –not one that I knew at least-. Toothless joined me and called my name.

" _Human nest close,"_ he said smelling the air again, his ear-flaps lifting. He pointed to our right, _"There."_ I frowned and looked the way he indicated, I made a hand gesture to Toothless to stay put and walked. Just a few steps forward was a path, most of the snow was pushed away and the grass underneath was crushed for being trodden so many times.

"Let's get away from here." I turned to Toothless, he was sitting on the same spot, "You are right, we are close to a village." I walked to the dragon, "Let's get you a safe place to hide, I need to go to-" There was the sound again, louder this time, closer. _Very_ close, indeed.

Toothless roared my name. I turned just in time to see a four-legged animal running in my direction. I yelped and covered my face with my arms on instinct; thanks the gods Toothless' instincts were better, he roared and stepped in front of me, stopping the animal.

It whinnied and rose up on its back legs, Toothless bared his fangs and let out a bellow of challenge, his wings half-unfurled. The animal returned to its four legs and jogged around the place, making distressed sounds before turning to run but it fell.

The animal tried to stand up as Toothless bellowed another warning. "Toothless, stop." I said softly and pulled from the saddle. He returned to all four and looked at me confused. "I think it's wounded." I gave a step forward. The animal tried once again to stand up, this time it could, though now I could se blood on its right leg.

It snorted and stared at me, "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." I said slowly walking forward with my hands extended to it. Its eyes switched to the dragon at my back and snorted, "He's not going to hurt you either," Toothless was the one who snorted now, a kind of _"speak for yourself"_.

The animal seamed more calmed now though. I lifted my hands to its long face, it nickered and gave a step forward, I held its head and gave a better look at the animal: It had a long face, its neck were long and thick, with long, dark brown and light blonde hair at the top of it that spread to one side and on its forehead, between it's ears. Its legs ended in hooves and its tail was completely made of long hair, same color as the one on its neck. The animal's skin was of a beautiful light brow.

"What are you?" I asked, more to myself. I surely had seen it on a book in Berk. I pet its forehead and paid attention to the reins attached to its its head. The animal obviously had human owner.

" _A carry-animal._ " Toothless said and I turned to him, he was several feet away from us, no wonder why the animal had calmed.

"A what?" I asked confused.

" _Carry-animal,"_ Toothless repeated, _"Humans use it to carry those thing you use to get food from the ground,"_ he tried to explain, _"Sometimes ride them."_

"For farming?" I asked, still trying to figure out what it was. Dragons' definitions don't help a lot.

" _I guess."_ Toothless said, they really didn't name some things like we do. That was kind of an issue in our communication; even when I understand him more he uses… _different_ names. Dragons just name things for what they are… literally.

"Horse!" I almost yelled, "You are a horse, aren't you?" I told the animal, not expecting for it to respond but I had the weird habit to speak to things I that doesn't speak.

"That's _what you call them?"_ Toothless asked, he snorted and added lowly, _"That's stupid."_

"I herd that." I ran my eyes through the rains again and slowly caressed the horse's neck, "How close you think the village is?" I asked Toothless turning to him; he shrugged a looked away.

" _Why don't you ask your new friend?_ " Toothless snarled, the sound made the horse tense. I rolled my eyes and walked to the dragon after calming the horse. I took the cloak off my shoulders and get my vest and harness made a questioning sound.

" _I_ am going to the village," I said as I let the harness on the ground and put everything else on.

" _Why?"_ Toothless asked a little worried as I untied the bag from his saddle.

"These don't fit me," I told him holding the bag full of clothes I stole, " _But_ I can sell them and buy something the proper size." I put the bag on my back, the strap crossing my chest. " _You_ go find a safe place to hide." I searched for the moneybag inside the satchel and put it inside the vest. Toothless made a worried sound, "Don't worry, bud. I'm going to be fine."

" _Why can't I go?"_ He asked with big eyes.

"It's dangerous for you, I don't want anyone to see you, they could hurt you." I said and gave a last smile to the black dragon before turning to the horse. "Come, let's get you back home." I grabbed the reins and began to follow the path

* * *

It took me a long time to arrive the village and, gods, wasn't it _big_? I walked different paths until I found a big plaza where kids were running and teasing each other. The horse had followed me without doubt. Anyway I didn't lose the rains.

In the few minutes I had been here I had at least seen three smiths -maybe I could ask for a job- and lot of people with carts, some pulled by horses and some pushed by the owner. They were carrying fruits and vegetables. Maidens were carrying basket with their food, fishes and plants. And even when I did draw their attention they kept on their own business. Stranger should be common here.

The smell of food made my stomach grumble and the sent of salty water gave me felling of home. Wherever you walked in Berk you could smell the ocean and the forest, aside of the usual Viking-smell.

I kept walking and found a path that leaded down, to a place that just could be a market, after it ended the port began. It had more ships than it could hold and everyone was unloading their freight.

Hesitantly I took the path, suddenly not so sure if I should be here. I was an outcast. What if someone recognize me? I told myself to don't be stupid; no one here would know me.

"Come on, brother!" A distressed voice rang over everyone else's conversations, "You gotta help me." I turned to the voice, why? I had no idea. In a stand a red-haired man, no older than 19, was talking to an equal red-haired man who was buying fish, maybe a couple of years older. Both looked very much alike.

"You lose her you find her." The older redhead said, a little bored with the talk, as he paid for the basket of fish and thanked the lady of the stand.

"I went for her last time!" the younger whined.

" _Yes_ , because _you_ lose her last time too!" the man pocked the other in the chest with every word, put the basket under his arm and leaved.

"Please!" the younger caught him on the walk, "Mom's gonna kill me if she knows I lose her again."

"Great, I wont have to deal with you anymore." The older said with a smile, there was no doubt they were brothers.

"I-I will give you my dessert for a _week_!" he insisted, the older brother thought it for a moment.

"Nah, I'm good." The younger brother stammered for another proposal and I ignored them and began to look for the stands with clothes, there should be one close here. I pulled from the rains so the horse would follow but it neighed and walked away, I pulled the reins harder and tried to calm it.

"Kyla!" I her someone scream and I turned to see the younger brother running to us, the horse nickered quietly and walked to the boy. He raised his hands and grabbed the horse's head; the read-haired boy patted the animal with a smile, "Where did you go?"

The older redhead that had followed his brother at a slower pace, turned to me, "You found her?" he sounded impressed.

"Yes, she almost ran over me on the woods." I said and pointed to her right front leg to add, "She is hurt, I don't know how badly, I have never seen this animal before." Both brothers turned their eyes to her leg.

"Really?" the younger said as he checked the injury, "From where are you?" he turned his eyes to me, confused and curious.

"Far north." I simply said and thanked the gods my panic at the question didn't show, "It is a horse… isn't it?" I asked slowly, don't wanting to make a fool of myself for not knowing an animal that was obviously very common in here.

"Yes," the older said, "How did you managed to get her here?" he asked patting the horse's forehead with his free hand, "She doesn't listen to anyone, less someone who just meet."

I shrugged, "I… have a way with animals." The brothers exchanged an impressed look.

"I'm going to take her back to the farm," the younger redhead said, he thanked me, remarking how his mother would had killed him if she knew the horse escaped again, before he leaved.

The older stayed at my side and sighed as he saw his brother leave, "My brother is a cabbagehead, every time he is going to use her she escapes." He said with a smile, his grey-ish blue eyes turned to me and he offered me his hand, "My name is Birger, by the way." I smiled and shook his hand. Birger gestured the way his brother had taken and added, "The cabbagehead is my brother Samir." He made an expression that told he wasn't happy Samir and him were related.

I chuckled, "My name is Hiccup."

"Hiccup?" he asked, clearly confused. I flushed a little and began to stammer.

"Where I came from it's believed that bad names would keep away gnomes and trolls." I gave him a half-hearted smile, he laughed a little, "Yeah, it's stupid, I know." I admitted, laughing with him, "but nothing had kidnaped us so…" I shrugged.

"Then it works," He smiled looking me with a funny expression.

"Hey, there are worst!" I said but couldn't contain a smile and began laughing again.

He stopped laughing and put a hand on my shoulder, "Anyway, thank you a lot, really. If there is anything I could do to compensate…" he trailed off.

I sighed thinking, "Well, if you could tell me where I could sell and buy some clothes would be fine." I said with a little smile.

"Of course!" His face lighted up and instantly began to guide me trough the market. I liked him in the minute; he was nice and helped me to sell everything, even when I just wanted him to tell me where were the stands of clothes.

He told me where not to buy _anything_ -clothes, food, whatever- they were frauds and they would take advantage of the fact that I wasn't from here.

We visited different stands, he sometimes would bargain in what I wanted to buy and tell lies to sell my clothes more expensive. _That horse was really important or this guy is way too friendly._

I didn't bought much, a new pair trousers and long-sleeved tunics, and even when I didn't want to sell the cloak a man said he hadn't seen fur this fine in a whole year and gave me good money for it. And to think it was _nicer_ before winter and baby dragons.

So, I bough another cloak, one that did fit me, and a new bag since mine was bitten and torn by hatchlings. Birger didn't ask why the clothes were bigger than I needed or the causes for the state of the bag, even when I saw the question in his eyes.

I really liked him.

I realized the sun was already going down too late. I should be with Toothless by now. Ohhh he was going to be mad at me. I bough a basket full of fish to compensate and said goodbye to Birger before leaving to the forest.

It took me a little while to find the way trough the houses but I found the path and kept following it for a few minutes until I was sure I've got out of sign and entered the forest.

"Toothless!" I yelled after walking for a while without knowing where I was. I've got no idea of where I let Toothless before and it was easier if he found me, "Buddy, where are you?" I asked walking deeper into the forest, I sighed when I felt his eyes on me and said, "I brought you fish."

Toothless jumped down from a tree and sat on his haunches with big, rounded eyes. He swept his tail side to side and purred, "I'm beginning to wonder if you like me or just the fish I give you."

" _I like you,"_ he said walking to me and nuzzling my chest, _"and I like fish too."_ He added smelling the basket, almost making me drop it as he pushed it with his nose.

"Stop it," I said laughing and pushed him away, "now, where are we going to sleep?" I asked him and he guided me trough the forest.

* * *

" _Go away!"_

The loud roar made me pop up my head. I blinked trying to clear my blurry vision; all I could see was white, brown and green. I focused on the black dot and close one eye to focus better.

Toothless was snarling to something brown, a tree? No, it was too light.

"Kyla?" I asked with a sleepy voice, the horse neighed at her name.

" _Tell her to go away!"_ Toothless turned to me, seeing now I was awake… short of. I sighed and stood up.

"What are you doing here?" I asked and released a slow yawn and stretching; the horse whinnied. Right, I can't understand. "Let's get you back, _again_." Rubbing my eyes I took her rains.

" _You going again?"_ Toothless asked walking to my side to stop me.

"I'll just take her back and return." I said but felt another yawn crawling in.

" _Like yesterday?"_ he asked annoyed.

"Hey, I brought you fish." I recalled him. He let me go but threating I better bring fish.

I arrived the village with the intention of just return the horse and leave but as soon as I stepped on I realized I had no idea where the brothers could be. I walked to the first man I found and asked for Birger and Samir; the man had looked at the horse and said something under his breath that sounded like a tired "Again" and indicated me the way to their farm.

The place was big; a longhouse was the first thing I saw, after it was a big space for crops, and fences with chickens, yacks, sheep, and a four-legged pink animal, there was another thing that looked like a house I guessed was where they kept their horses. And not so far from the longhouse was the storehouse house, outside it were fish-drying racks and at the side a new building half-finished.

I took the path to the longhouse; I stopped a few steps from the door, inside a woman was screaming, she sounded more than angry; it scared me just hearing her, she should be Birger and Samir's mother.

"You lose her _again_?"

"It's not like I wanted her to scape." Samir said. _Bad idea_. He yelped and I could hear things hitting the wall. Holly crap, no wonder why they thanked me so much.

"Mom, please stop throwing things. We will find her," Birger said; I walked to the door to deliver the horse and don't get them in more trouble. "She couldn't get too-" I was going to knock when he opened the door and stopped in his tracks looking me a bit confused, "Wha...?"

I lowered my fist, "When I woke up she was on my camp." I shortly explained.

"Whose that?" the women asked and pushed Birger away from the door. She was a short, chubby maiden. She wear a simple, blue dress and apron, it was a bit stained in blood that I hopped where animal. Her hair was brown with some white strings that give away her age pulled back in a low braid; her eyes a beautiful shade of blue.

"Uh, she is Hiccup. The girl I told you." Birger said and I couldn't help but blush, he had told her about me?

The maiden looked me up and down, "It seems like a foreign lass can make your work better." She said and slapped the tall redhead's arm. He flinched and caressed his sore arm with a slight pout. I couldn't resist a smile. "Now do something right for once and take Kyla to the barn." Birger took the horse's rains from my hand and gave me a tight smile. I knew the feeling, I never liked when my father scolded me in front of someone.

"Thank you… _Hiccup_ , was it?" the woman said.

"Yes, ma'am." I said then smiled, "You are welcome."

"Oh, and you have manners!" She said delighted, "Most of the kids that leave their villages don't care to keep them." She huffed. Kids that leave their villages? "Did you already have breakfast?"

"Uh, no ma'am." I said still confused.

"Well, come in then." She said and didn't let me respond as she pulled me inside. "Pick that up," she ordered Samir and he began to pick up bowls and spoons from the floor.

The place was different than I expected. Yes, I expected it to be big. Yes, I expected to have a kitchen, a fireplace and a table. But I didn't expect it to be two stores tall or the table to have a dozen of chairs.

A small _wow_ leaved my lips as I tried to take everything in. This was absolutely not like Berk. "This place is _big_ , how big is your family?" I asked before I could stop myself. The woman laughed slightly.

"It's just my husband, these two and me," she said, "but we give shelter to kids like you."

"L-like me?" I asked confused again.

"Yeah, the ones that leave their villages," Samir said taking the bowls to the kitchen, "though you look too young, I thought people didn't leave until they are 17."

Oh! So that's why Birger told her about me. "Where I came from we can leave earlier." I lied, I had never heard of such a think. We don't leave our tribes unless you marry someone and go to live with them. Or if you are an outlaw.

The maiden sighed, "I still don't know from where are you," she said thoughtful, "there's no more towns north from Heynes."

"Uh, I came from farther this island." I said, receiving a little laugh form Samir and his mother.

"Sweetheart, this is no island, you are in Norway." The brunet told me with a sweet smile.

"Oh," I mouthed, "sorry, I lost my map and actually don't know where I am." The woman gave me another smile and caressed my hair.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Now sit. Samir, call the other kids please." She told her son in a softer voice and the redhead ran upstairs. "Oh, and my name is Thyra." She said with another smile. "Please Hiccup, sit." She insisted after seeing I was just awkwardly standing where she left me.

I sat on a chair a bit hesitantly; I should go back with Toothless but the food smelled so well… I may stay a little. Birger entered the house from a back door with another man.

A Viking taller than Birger; his hair was as red as his and Samir and the three shared the same gray-ish blue eyes. He was obviously his father. The only difference was that the older man had a short beard.

Birger and him were laughing as they entered the house but stopped at the annoyed glare of Thyra. "Hi, honey." The tall Viking said to his wife and tried to kiss her on the cheek but Thyra slapped him on the chest.

"Do not "honey" me," she said with an angry stare. Birger took advantage of it and took two biscuits from the kitchen and hided them on his back as he slowly walked to the table. "Don't think I didn't saw you." Thyra pointed to Birger with her knife, "You have lived here for 22 years, I _know_ you Birger."

"It was for Hiccup," he said offended; I frowned at him, I didn't want to be part of this. "And one for me," he admitted after a glare of his mother. He sat at my side and gave me the bread; I smiled in return and bit the soft biscuit. Sweet Freyja, it was delicious.

The bearded Viking sat in front of me with a tired sigh, "And you must be Hiccup."

I swallowed the bread before answering, "Yes, sir." I smiled.

"Well," he offered me his hand, "a pleasure meeting ya', the name's Haldor Baugsson." He said with a warm smile.

I shook him hand with a smile, why was everyone here so nice? "The pleasure is mine, sir." I kept my manners. Not every Viking on the Archipelago had them, and if they do they don't bother to show them. But as the Chief's daughter I was taught to be respectful when I meet new people.

"So, from where are you?" he asked, and of course he had to ask hat. I didn't like to lie, every time I do the true exploded on my face. But once again I was forced to, now to my own protection. I don't know what they would do if they know I'm an outlaw.

Something that sounded a lot like a thunderstorm climbed down the stairs and at least seven young adults ran to sit on the table, including Samir. "Do not run on the house!" Thyra screamed but the didn't listen. Four boys and two girls that I didn't knew sat at the table, pushing each other on their way. They all were around 18 and I couldn't stop feeling smaller.

"Uh…" I stammered, distracted by the others sudden presence. I blinked twice to focus again on the question, "from Berk," I said without thinking.

"Berk?" Haldor asked confused by the name, "I have never herd of a place called like that." What. Have. I. Done. I shouldn't have stayed in here.

"It's on… the..." I tried to think on something but nothing came in mind, "the Barbaric Archipelago," I said in surrender. My words should have caused some effect on the table because everyone went silent and stared at me. I blushed, I never liked when people stare at me.

"Have you fight dragons?" A blonde girl asked and a storm of questions followed.

"Okay, okay. Everyone shut up, we are going to eat." Thyra said and they did, the temper of the woman was not to be questioned. Thyra put different dishes on the table, some with bread, some with dried fruit, but what made my mouth water was a hot cauldron Thyra held.

She walked around the table serving the yak stew on bowls. I thanked her when she gave me mine and began to eat with the others.

"So, Hiccup, do you have siblings?" Thyra asked after sitting by her husband.

"No," I said a bit uncomfortable, I didn't want to speak of my family.

Birger huffed, "Good, you didn't have to deal with a cabaggehead." Samir frowned at him and threw a piece of bread to him.

"Don't throw food." Their mother said in a hard tone. Birger picked up the piece of bread and ate it with a triumphant smile that pissed off his brother.

"You let your parents alone?" a black-haired boy asked.

"Ram!" Haldor scolded. I looked down and bit my lower lip.

"Don't feel bad," a female voice sounded from the end of the table, I raised my eyes to her; it was the blonde girl that asked me for the dragons, "I'm only daughter too." She said with a smile. I returned the smile but it dropped again.

"Yeah… but I just let my father," there was a pause and I cursed myself for making the comment, now I had to explain, "My mother died long ago. It hurt when I leaved but… I just couldn't stay there." I shrugged and my response was followed by an uncomfortable silence.

Ram broke the silence, "So you let your _father_ alone?" Thyra threw a spoon at the boy and scolded him saying he would work double time; Ram groaned but didn't say a word.

Thyra sighed and turned to me, "I'm sorry for your mother," she took my hand and squished it lightly, "And, if you want, you can stay here too." She smiled.

My mood changed quickly, "Oh, no. I can't- I'm good, it's okay." I stammered looking for an answer.

"Hiccup, it's okay. This is what we do." Birger shrugged, "you can stay for a few months and pay with work at the farm."

"Yeah it's not that bad work in here," the blonde girl said, "and you have food and a roof to sleep under."

"And having another girl wouldn't be bad," the other girl, a brunet with long disheveled hair, added; she should be the younger here, "It's starting to smell too much to men here," she said as she pushed a shorthaired blond boy's face away.

"I don't really know anything about farming." I said still trying to make up excuses.

"You can help Thyra in the kitchen or making fabric," Haldor said. Why they had to be so nice?!

I opened my mouth to say I was fine but Thyra spoke first, "Yes, do you know how to cook? Or anything else you know to do…" she trailed off.

"Y-yes, I know to cook" I answered, "and I know basics of healing," why I keep talking? "But it's okay."

Samir laughed, "But Hiccup, it's winter. You should be frizzing out there."

"Nah, it's worse in Berk." I said and it wasn't a lie.

"Is it true that they train you for battle before fifteen?" a brunet boy –about 18 years old- asked.

"Ulman," Haldor warn him to don't ask questions just with the tone of his voice.

"What?" Ulman said, but I was glad they changed the subject.

I laughed a little, "We are sent to another island for training for a year when we turn eight." The answer brought various _wows_ to the table. I smiled, their reaction was weird for me, it was just the common thing on the Archipelago; I guessed it was different out here.

"Have you killed a dragon?" The blonde asked again.

"Lana, shut up." Thyra said in a hard tone, "You don't have to answer, sweetheart."

I smiled, "It's okay," at least this theme didn't bother me. I shrugged, "No, I hadn't. I know how but…" I befriended one and don't want to kill them anymore, "Dragon Training it's kind of a competition, the one who do better gets to kill their first dragon in the arena, in front of everyone. And I didn't win." I lied, "After Training you can leave if you want." I added another lie.

"So you made the same mistake than me and leaved on winter?" the brunet girl affirmed more than asked, resting on her elbows, "I leaved at my first chance too."

"And do you have jobs or something at that age?" an auburn-haired boy asked.

"Uh, not exactly. We help on our houses or help the village elder with the wounded." I explained, "But… I _did_ have a job, well, kind of. I'm a blacksmith."

"A _blacksmith_?" the blonde boy said in awe, "but- how old _are_ you? Fifteen? Sixteen?"

I shrugged, "I have been an apprentice since I was nine." I made a pause, "Well, I still more practice with some things, but I'm really good with details." In the last weeks I was in Berk Gobber taught me to make axes, he was going to wait until Training was over but since I was doing so well he began to teach me before. But still I didn't acquire that much experience to do it perfect.

"Well, if you are staying in town for a while I heard Thorvaldr was hiring people." Samir said scratching his ear, I guessed Thorvaldr was a blacksmith.

That wasn't a bad idea.

The rest of the breakfast continued in question of the live inside the Barbaric Archipelago. It seemed like not much leaved the fog. Just rumors of how bad the battles against dragons were.

I thanked the gods no one insisted on me staying again.

After breakfast the teens leaved to their usual activities; except Mr. Baugsson and Birger, along with the auburn-haired boy –whose name was Gabe- who were going to the town.

Gabe was leaving the farm to continue traveling to wherever he was traveling to. He said that worst of winter was over and he was returning back south. The 19-year-old boy hugged and thanked everyone as he leave the house.

The only thing I could think was on how kind this family was. They gave shelter to people they didn't know, and they didn't care about their pasts. Leif, the blond boy, had actually been disowned for speaking to harsh to his father two years ago; when he turned 17 he leaved.

Mr. Baugsson offered to take me to the blacksmith, what I accepted happily. Even when the farm was outside the town it just took us a few minutes to arrive. We walked to the docks first where Gabe's small ship were tided up.

He was already leaving when a familiar voice shouted, "Hey, wait!" we turned to see Samir riding a black horse, thanks gods there weren't too much people on the port. He pulled the rains and the horse stopped with a whinnying. The redhead boy jumped down and threw a bag to Gabe, who already had a foot on his ship. "Your pay," he explained, "for the last days."

"I didn't complete the week," Gabe said and made gesture of giving back the money.

"Dude, it's yours. You earn it." Birger said and friendly pushed the boy inside the ship.

Gabe chuckled out a laugh, "Thank you," he said looking at the three Baugsson redheads. Then he turned to me, why to me? "I would really reconsider their offer, Hiccup. The Baugssons are very nice people, you don't see Vikings like that everywhere."

"Ow, come on, you are making me blush." Samir said mockingly waving a hand to him. They all say the last farewells and Gabe set sail.

I sighed, he was right. They were nice people, and I'd take his word: I would not see this often. As if to prove it a familiar voice called out behind me, it wasn't the good familiar voice that would make you smile because someone you know was there. No, it was a voice that made every muscle of my body go still and my heart to skip a beat.

"Hiccup!" The Baugssons turned first, their eyes shifted between the man and my wide-eyed expression. I twisted my body to face him, he was standing at the edge of his ship, his arms wide open and a maniac smile on his face, it kind of suits him.

"D-Dagur?" My voice was higher than normal, I tried to hide my panic, "Wha-what are you doing here?" I stammered, well done, Hiccup.

"Uhg, my father sent me here to do some things," he said, walking down the plank, "he just want me out of the island." He pulled out his sword with a bored expression as he talked, then gave me mischievous look and pointed me with his sword, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I-I…" I stammered once again. I couldn't tell him my father sent me too because the Baugssons would know I had lied to them. But I couldn't say what I told them because Dagur knew I couldn't just leave; not being the Chief's daughter and the heir of Berk.

"Oh! Don't worry. I already know." Dagur said and saved the sword on his back and eyed the three redheads at my back, "Why don't we have a walk?" He took my wrist rather hard and pulled me to the town. Another hand reached my wrist; it was strong but gentle. I looked up and saw Haldor's serene expression, a warning on his eyes that told he couldn't take me.

Dagur turned annoyed, baring his teeth, his green eyes filled with fire. I took Haldor hand before Dagur could make him see why we call him "Deranged". Giving my best fake smile to Haldor I said, "It's okay, he is a-" My eyes darted at Dagur, "an old friend." I finished, Haldor's look spoke by itself; he didn't believe me. "I just didn't expect seeing him outside the Barbaric Archipelago." I shrugged and got both hands off me. I gestured Dagur to keep walking and I followed him.

We passed trough the market and into the town, he looked everywhere for a way to enter the forest and pushed me trough an alley. We entered the forest without a word and as soon as we were out of sigh I stepped apart.

"What do you mean you know?" I asked.

He sighed, "Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccie, Hicc," I frowned at my own name being repeated so many times but say nothing, "Did you really think that what you did would stay on _Berk_? The whole Archipelago knows by now what _you_ did. The word has spread fast and had leaved the fog-wall. Soon every Viking will know about you."

I felt my blood leaving my face, the _whole_ Archipelago? It had been just a few months! Two, maybe three, and it was winter, not many ship sail from island to island.

"That's why I want to make you an offer." Dagur said pulling his shoulders back.

My eyes went wide remembering a meeting with the Berserker tribe many years ago, I was just a kid, five or six years old, when Dagur's father had offered my father a marriage treatment between the hers of the tribes. I had immediately pull a face, I didn't liked Dagur, he was too violent, and I liked him less after he tried to drown me when I was trying to learn how to swim later that morning.

I think that's why I never learn to swim.

"I'm not going to marry you." I gave a steep back with a disgusted face. Dagur began to laugh maniacally with his hands on his hips, the action made his horned helmet bounce on his head.

"That's a good one, Hiccup." He said as he pulled a tear apart. "I don't want to marry you. I never did. That was one of my father's idiotic ideas." He said and looked to the distance. "You know, he had become soft. He is not what he used to. Having ideas of peace and all those pacts between tribes?" he sounded disgusted, " _'Oswald the Agreeable'_ what kind of name is that for a Berserker's Chief? That's why I'm going to take his place."

"I didn't know that he was going to name you chief."

"Oh, he is not." My eyes opened wide as I understood the situation, he was going to rip the title off his father, he was planning to overthrow him, and knowing Dagur it was just one way he would do it. Dagur was more than ready to _kill_ his own father.

"And my offer… is a place at my side," he extended his hand to me, " _sister._ " I frowned and shook my head lightly. There was _no damn way_ in Midgard I was going to help him. "C'mon, Hiccup." He put an arm on my shoulders, "You, with your dragon, help me get rid of my father and then _I_ will help _you_ to take back Berk."

"What?!" I looked at him in shock.

"Berk's throne should be yours, not your stupid cousin. He's the new heir of the Hairy Hooligans. And to be honest, he is going to take the place down." He moved in front of me and gasped my shoulders on his hands, "But _you_ , sister, are the legitimate heir, think about it." He put his arm around my shoulders again and held me thigh, with his free hand he gestured to the trees, looking beyond them into an imaginary situation, "An armada made by Berserkers and dragons. No one would stop us, we could take everything we want."

He looked at me and said with a mad smile, "So, what you say, sister? Let's go to Berk, and take back what is yours."

"And kill my own father?" I asked and was very pleased at the disgust on my voice, "No, thank you." I steeped away.

"He is not you father anymore, Hiccup" Dagur insisted, "He _disown_ you _and_ outlawed you."

"No," I said firmly, "I outlawed myself. And if I did it was because I didn't want to be there. And I don't. Want. To _return_." I marked every word, hoping that way they would enter in his thick head, "No matter the circumstances, I'm _not_ going back."

He pulled his shoulders back and looked me down, "Fine." He said and walked to the village.

"Wait!" I ran to his side in panic and stopped him, pulling form his arm so he could face me. "I'm not going to let you tell them."

He laughed, "What? You don't want your new friends know who you _really_ are? What you _did_ and why are you here?" he leant over me with his eyebrows raised. And I dawned on that he was one head taller than me, he _obviously_ was stronger and he had a weapon with him.

The chances of winning a fight against him were null but I pulled my shoulders back and extended my back the more I could.

He huffed at my stance and rose up, "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell them." The continued walking to the village, letting me standing in the same place almost mouth open.

"You- you are not?" I stammered.

"Nah," he said like nothing, then stopped and turned with malicious eyes, "the true will get out, sooner or latter. And you-" he pointed at me and began to slowly walk towards me, "- would need to get out of here. And you will find another place where you thing you are safe but the same will happen." He stopped when his face was a few inches from mine, "You have no home, Hiccup. One day you will miss Berk, you will miss have a bed and a roof over your head. And _that_ day you'll remember my words." Dagur rose up again, "And you will come to me, sister."

Dagur turned and kept walking like if nothing had occurred. Gods, he was crazy.

I followed him back to town, but even then I couldn't get his words off my head. He was right. And as much as I didn't want it to happen; they will end figuring out the true and I would need to leave. It's going to be the same everywhere.

We arrived the docks, I raised my eyes form my boots and was really surprised when I saw three redheads waiting for me. Dagur walked to his men and said, "The offering is still on foot. One day you would want to accept… and I'll wait you, sister. You know where I will be." Yes, taking down other tribes.

I crossed my arms over my chest and turned, I needed to get away from him. "Hiccup, are you okay?" Haldor asked worried and I felt bad about his tone, they didn't even know me.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said but his eyes on my back as I walked made it obvious that they didn't believe me, I sighed and turned to face them, "look, Dagur… er… it's not actually a friend." Samir raised his eyebrows in a we-noticed-that expression, "He was a guy from another tribe, my father and his were friends and we saw each other a lot." It… wasn't completely a lie, "he and I have different points of view that always lead us to discussions; now that I leave my village he expect me to have change." I shrugged marking that was all.

They looked at each other; they weren't very convinced but didn't make any questions.

"Well," Haldor sighed, "let's get you to Thorvaldr's blacksmith," I smiled to that and relaxed a bit. Being on a forge is what I needed, the smell of metal and burning coal, the _clank_ of metal as a hammer re-shaped it. Yes, that's what I needed.

The teens leaved to their usual activities on the farm and Mr. Baugsson guided me to Thorvaldr's blacksmith. He warned me that the man was a grumpy one and advised me to be respectful and don't ask dumb questions.

"No, no!" a voice with thick accent shouted as we got close. I slowed my steeps to hid behind Haldor and pocked my head from his back. The smith was a fully open space and inside a big, bald man with black mustache was yelling to a 15-year-old boy who was infuriatingly looking down, fighting scream back at him.

"Ya' need ta let it heat up!" the man, who obviously was Thorvaldr, threw a piece of metal that was barely red into the forge with his forceps.

"It was already _hot_." The kid said slowly to keep his anger down but it was already showing.

"Not enough ta mold it," Thorvaldr said grasping the boy's arm so he would look at him. I ignored the scowl and gave a hesitantly steep forward to get out of Haldor's back and inspected the smith.

My eyes fixed on the forge and I frowned, the coal was burning in a low flame, how did the kid expected to heat up something with _that_? "The forge isn't hot enough," I said before my brain could authorize it. It was the third time this day and I blame waking up so abruptly.

The man yelling stopped and I looked around me, I was a steep from the forge and three pair of eyes was upon me. The blood ran to my face. "What?" the blacksmith asked bitter.

"T-the forge," I said again, "isn't hot enough." The man released the boy from his grip and eyed me up and down before nodding at me to continue, "May I?" I asked gesturing to the forge and the man gestured me to go ahead.

I steeped closer to the bellows and pulled it, the heart of the forge lighted up slowly. There were tongs hanging at the side of the forge and I took one with confidence to move the piece of metal that had fallen over another and pulled the bellows again.

Their eyes were still on me but I wasn't nervous or uncomfortable, neither my blood ran to my face. I knew what I was doing, and if felt good doing it again.

I notice the pieces of metal were a broken sword and said, "To weld metal you need to heat it bright red or white," I said turning to the blacksmith, "and that flame wasn't going to do the job."

The man huffed, "Not bad," he said and handed me a sword, "What's wrong with this sword?" I took it –incredibly its height didn't take me down- and the moment I did I realized, but everyone would realize there was something wrong with the balance.

"Bad balanced," I quickly said and put two fingers under the blade, close to the handle and it almost fell; the handle was too heavy. But that was too obvious, I inspected the sword, "the handle in falling over," I noticed and then put the end of the handle in front of my face and extended the sword, I twisted it and found another mistake, "it's not straight," finally I looked at the edge, "aand it's bad sharpened," I turned it back.

"Lucky guess," the boy huffed.

"I'm a blacksmith," I told him harsh.

"You aren't older than me, you are too young to be a blacksmith." He crossed his arms over his chest and gave me an onceover. Of course he did, as skinny and thin as I was no one would ever believe I work in a forge.

I looked at Thorvaldr's eyes and showed him my hands. Maybe I didn't have muscles but my hands were all proof I need I ever worked on a smith. The man took my hands and passed his thumb over my palms. They weren't long or big, just the opposite, my hands were small and lean, but were filled with calluses from years of forge-work and scars and burns than even filled my forearms for accidents with the weapons and fire.

"Huh, how old are ya'?" the man asked releasing my hands.

"I'm going to be sixteen by the end of the winter, sir." I tired to keep the manners, "I have been an apprentice since I was nine." I said solemnly. To _that_ he looked impressed.

"From where did you pulled out this girl?" he asked Haldor.

"She comes from the Barbaric Archipelago," Haldor answered, "an island called Berk."

Thorvaldr looked even more impressed, "and are ya' still an apprentice? Or ya' dominate everythin'?" he asked me.

I didn't let my panic show, "Everything, sir." He inspected me again, scratching his baldhead, already considering hiring me. I put my hands on my back to hide my crossed fingers.

"I'll tell ya' what. You work a day with me without pay, to see what ya' can do, lass." I smiled and nodded, I wasn't expecting less, I was a foreign. But this could be a chance, Dagur was right, they _will_ find out. But it can take then time and I'm going to use that time. "When can ya' begin?"

"Right now, sir." I answered, ohhh, Toothless is going to be _so_ mad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this is the longer chapter i've written. though next are going to be like this too.   
> School is getting closer and my updates are going to be slower than usual but I'll try to update at least one more chapter before it begins.


	12. A Black Night Fury

Indeed, Toothless got angry. Both because I didn't return until down and because I got a job. And the fish didn't get over his bad mood this time.

It had been two weeks and _still_ he was angry. I didn't know if it was a dragon-thing or a Toothless-thing. But at lest the time at the forge had helped me. I've got enough money to buy Toothless all the fish he want to so he get over his tantrum and I relaxed with the hard work.

Olaf, the fifteen-year-old apprentice, was in a tantrum too. Thorvaldr haven't yell at me in the two weeks I had been here and scowl him at every move. He even asked me nicely if I could show the kid how it was done -what just made Olaf angrier-. It was amazing how the old man's mood could change.

I had tried to be nice and told Olaf how to do things while Thorvaldr wasn't watching but he was more angry with me than Toothless was.

I looked out the smith and stared at how the sky changed to orange, time to go. I said goodbye to Thorvaldr and even to Olaf and leaved to the forest.

It was getting dark and the alleys didn't give me much confidence so I took the main streets; there still were Vikings outside, mothers told the children to get inside for dinner, fathers returned from the port from the last fishing of the day, men and women pulled carts to their farms, and they passed at my side along with the horses.

"Hiccup!" two voices screamed, I looked over my shoulder and saw two redheads riding horses not far from me and they were getting close _fast_. They tilted a little together and extended a hand each; they didn't give me a chance to do _anything_. I felt one hand on my arm and one graving the back of my vest, I was pulled up and next thing I knew I was on the back of a horse behind Samir.

"Son of a Banshee!" I yelled and punched his shoulder; "You scared me to death, burned bird brain!" Samir caressed his shoulder.

"Whoa, Ms. Manners knows how to curse!" Birger laughed. I shot him an I-will-kill-you look that just made him laugh more.

"What the _hel_ are you doing?" I demanded to know as they turned to their farm direction.

"Its Lana's twentieth birthday," Samir explained, "Mom told us to invite you."

"And this is your way to _invite_ me?" I asked, still screaming.

"Well, we supposed you were going to say no, so…" Birger said still smiling.

"You are lucky I can't reach you." I said in my normal volume but as hard as before.

"She punches hard, bro." Samir said, "I would be careful." I punched hard? That- is actually one of the nicer things someone had told me.

"You are too weak, cabbagehead." Birger told him.

Samir looked over his shoulder and whispered, "Do me favor and punch him harder." I smiled in agreement. We arrived the farm faster than I thought, horses are fast; I wondered how fast Toothless can _run_.

Oh, no. _Toothless_.

Fish is _not_ going to fix this.

But let's hope a full night of flying would.

I was going to hop off the horse when I realized it was taller than Toothless, well, they were almost the same size but Toothless kept his body down most of the time. Samir got down first and after seeing my hesitation he grabbed me from the sides and put me down without asking, "Hey!"

"You are lighter than I thought," he laughed and I punched him again, now in the arm since his shoulder was too high, "Hey, I thought we had a deal!"

"Oh, right!" I turned to Birger and punched the harder I could.

"Ow! What was _that_ for?" he caressed his arm.

"For _kidnaping_ me, vacant skull." I pocked him on the chest. I herd more laughs behind us and I turned to see a campfire outside the longhouse, both girls, Lana and Nadia were standing by it while Ram and Leif fed the fire.

"Well, good night, Ms. Manners." Lana laughed, in the last two weeks I have eaten with them a few times, all in invitations. Sometimes I helped repairing the fences or with the new building, it was something I knew how to do.

In those days the teens had address me as Ms. Manners for the way I spoke to Thyra and Haldor.

"Where's Ul?" Samir asked still caressing his arm.

"Right here," Ulman said walking behind them his arms full of firewood, "What's wrong with your arms?" The other teens laughed and explained that I just punched them; he began to laugh to. The two read heads looked at them with a pout.

I found myself laughing too, I barely reached their chest and I wasn't that strong, I knew that, so the sight of the tall redheads brothers _still_ caressing his arms was way funnier.

"Gods! You have a heavy hand, Hiccup," Birger muttered leaving to the barn with his brother to let the horses.

I joined the others and went inside, dinner was almost ready. I greeted Thyra and Haldor and asked if I they wanted help before siting on the table. Samir and Birger joined and Thyra put the dinner on table.

It was pork –those pink animals- and lamb, and as always it was delicious. They asked me if I was allowed to drink mead, I actually wasn't until 17 but they didn't know that. It was a bad decision, soon everything got blurry and my brain didn't grasp everything.

Dinner cheered up with the mead, Lana admitted that she was leaving in a week to return with her family, she had been out for two years and she wanted to see them again.

We sent her farewells before remembering that she said in a week and not now. And after dinner we sat outside around the campfire, Mr. and Mrs. Baugsson went to sleep and told us to not stay up too late.

I stopped drinking after dinner, my head was already spinning and there was something I needed to do but I couldn't quite remember what and the mead didn't help.

The redhead brothers were singing "The Norwegian Winter", dancing with theirs arms clenched as we laughed and joined them in a few parts. I could focus a little more and what they were saying had less and less sense.

"But wwe, who by jokesss pass da time. 'N' among frienddssss with singin' enlivennn." Samir shouted and gave another drink.

"In wwwarm halls by brroad _thables_. We drrank, as if we could no _helse_!" Birger finished for him and the other teens cheered at it and drink too. The brothers kept singing and Ul stood up to dance around the fire with them. He was tripping more than anything.

Samir dropped at my side when the song ended, "Heyyyy, Ms. Mannerrrs!" he hugged me with an arm, "I-I d'not _shee_ ya' comin'," he slurred.

"I've been here the whole time," I answered, "you kidnaped me, remember?"

He frowned, "N-No. No, no, no, I wwould never, never, no, ever, would, no… ever, no." he shook his head, "No 'causse ya'd punnch me." I laughed and pushed him aside to stand up. "h-h-h-heyyy, wheeere yer goin'?" he asked confused.

I stretched and thought about it, why had I stood up? I looked into the distance, to the fields of the farm listening "don't go"s and "Stay a bit more"s. my eyes found two little bright green dots on the darkness. The shade looked familiar.

_Toothless._

I groaned, that was what I needed to do, I needed to leave; I shouldn't even have stayed. "Sorry, guys." I yawned, "I need to go."

" _It'sh_ _gangerous_ _do_ at this time." Nadia said, " _Shtay_ , I'll borrow you my rom."

"Nah," I said and my eyes shifted on the barn, I turned to the redhead boys, "Hey, can you show me how to ride?"

"Now?" Birger asked confused.

"No… I think that would be quite dangerous," I said and they nodded in agreement.

"Yes, because it's dark." Leif pointed out and they agreed again, I rolled my eyes and waved off.

Walk was more difficult than I tough, and I didn't drink that much. My brain said left and my legs took right, somehow I managed to take the path to the town and thankfully Toothless meet me just outside the farm.

He glared at me angry and I gave him a sheepishly smile, "Hi, bud." He growled, "I know, I know. Sorry." He lifted his ear-plates at the word and cooed, he gestured me to ride on and lowered his neck.

"Thanks, buddy," I somehow managed to get on his back and he began to walk into the forest in a slow peace, "I really wish we could fly tonight, but it could be dangerous."

He rolled his eyes _"you think?"_ I rested on his neck and let his warm scales warmth my body. I could sleep like this forever.

* * *

I didn't went to the blacksmith today, I told Toothless I was going to learn how to ride a horse and he immediately got angry with me. _"Carry-animals are_ not _fire-people,"_ he had sounded insulted, he said that humans _control_ horses to they do what they wanted.

"I don't want to _control_ you, buddy." I had told him, he sat on his haunches giving me his back, "You are my _friend_ , I would _never_ control you, and you know you are free to do what you want." That had made him turn to me, "I just want to learn how to ride, maybe something can help me to flight with you better."

Toothless had agreed with me, it _could_ help us. So he took me to the farm after I told Thorvaldr I wasn't working that day because I felt sick and returned to the forest with Toothless.

He stayed hided all the time, watching what I was doing. Samir and Birger were forced to wake up early to work, the rest of the young adults were still sleeping. They were very pleased when I arrived; they said riding was better than working, even with the headache.

Soon Birger and Samir had saddle their horses –Crystal and Skye, respectively- telling me how to do it, they put Kyla out if her pen and let me saddle her. It wasn't difficult to saddle a horse; at least it doesn't have a mechanism like Toothless'. After saddling the Kyla they put me a block so I could ride on easier. Birger caressed her head as I put my left foot on the stirrup and pulled myself upward as Samir indicated me.

"Okay, now you need to balance," Samir said and handed me the rains, "keep your back straight, shoulders back and-" he fixed leg position, "Like that,"

"Now," Birger said as Samir rode his horse, "Your toes should be pointing upwards," I looked down to my feet to correct my posture, "If you keep your ankles flexed and the heal down you wont slip through the stirrup." He explained and I barely nodded, that wont happen with Toothless, I needed to keep changing pedals.

"Your knees goes inward," Birger poked my knee and I frowned doing so.

"If feels weird," I said, it was more comfortable the other way.

"You'll get use to it," Samir said, "You're short of hugging her, but don't do it too thigh."

"Shouldn't she being riding Crystal?" we turned to the voice and found Ram watching us from the fence that surrounded the barn, "Since she is the oldest and is well tamed, isn't that safer?" he got a good point.

"Kyla is well tamed and she likes Hiccup," Samir said walking Skye to Ram.

"Really, then why she escapes almost every day?" Ram teased.

"Because she doesn't like Samir," Birger simply answered riding Crystal.

I looked away form them, ignoring their conversation a bit and searching for a Night Fury on the tree line; he was well hided, I didn't saw him until he poked out his head from a bush, he tilted his head and even in the distance I could sense his question, I slightly gestured with my hand to keep hiding and his head disappeared again.

Samir sighed irritated and turned to me giving Ram his back, "Okay, Hiccup, relax your elbows and don't pull the rains or she will think you want to stop. Now, to begin walking squeeze you legs a bit, you don't have to use the rains a lot, you just need to push a little your legs. If you want to go right push your left, and if you want to go left push your right."

"They don't like the pressure so they'll try to get away from it." Birger explained, "Let's get a walk around the fence," he gestured for me to follow and I did as Samir said and squeezed my legs a bit, Kyla began to walk and I made her follow Birger.

Samir walked at my side looking everything I did; we ended the round and they let me walk everywhere inside the small fence. After a while they thought me how to make her trot –just squeezing my legs again while walking-, and told me how I should position myself.

After I was more comfortable with it they opened the fence and went to the open field so I could have more space to canter, though I keep close. The other teens had woke up by the time but instead of working they rested on the fence and looked at me.

A few hours had pass since I began; my eyes darted to where Toothless was hiding and wondered if he was still there. "How do I go faster?" I asked.

"Whoa there, Ms. Manners." Samir exclaimed, "You just began, it might take you a while to learn."

"By what I can see, she is pretty good," Leif said, "Are you sure you haven't ride before?"

"Dude, she even knew what a horse was." Ram answered for me.

I shrugged, "I just wanted to know," I wait for his answer but he stood quiet, "I don't dare to go faster," I chuckled, "I could fall," my eyes focused on the ground and I grimaced, it would hurt if that happens.

Samir sighed, "Lean forward and rise up, keep your back straight and put your weight on your pelvis, not on your shoulders," _what?_

"Can I see?" I asked him and he grinned and adjusted the saddle so the stirrups were higher, "What are you doing?"

"It's easier to keep balance if your feet are higher," he answered before putting Skye into a trot, then a canter and soon he was galloping away, I inspected his position, it didn't look so difficult and I learn on the job and _this_ could help.

Toothless is a fast dragon and the faster we had gone was on our first flight, and it was an accident. I tried to recall what I did that time as Samir turned and galloped back; if I recalled good, it was similar to what he just did.

Samir pulled the reins and Skye stopped with a neigh, they walked to me, "Like that," Samir said with a grin on his face. Birger huffed and rolled his eyes, "What you can do better, brother?"

I took advantage of their discussion and began to walk Kyla away from them, I bit my lip and closed my legs, the horse began to trot and I turned her like if I was just going around.

"You can do this, Hiccup," I talked to myself and my eyes darted down, it would be a horrible fall, and Toothless wouldn't hesitate in coming for me. He may be angry with me but he cared.

Inspecting the saddle for a moment I adjusted the stirrups, checking any attention were on me; the brother were still discussing and the other teens had joined the conversation. I released my breath and directed Kyla to the field; I squeezed my legs harder and the horse ran.

"Hiccup!" I herd Birger scream but I was already gone. The position felt familiar and… natural. I began to laugh; this wasn't so difficult. "Hiccup, stop!" the voice was close and I looked over my shoulder to see both brothers racing behind me.

Their faces were full of worry and they looked at me like if I would fall at any moment. But I wont, I learn fast and I knew what I was doing.

I grinned, "Catch me if you can!" I shook Kyla's rains to go faster and we gained speed; we reached the tree line and turned back to the barn, I looked at the redheads, their expressions weren't of worry anymore but they seemed annoyed that I lied.

Still, I didn't let them catch on; they would stop me if they do. So I kept evading both brothers with ease. And every time I looked at them they were more relaxed and in minutes it became a game.

Every time we passed close to the barn I could hear the teens cheering on. I liked the feeling of riding, the wind hitting my face and my heart beating against my chest as it pleaded for more speed.

But I began to pull the rains as we got close to the barn and got close to the fence cantering, the brothers flanked me, shaking their heads but with a smile on their faces, "That was pretty awesome," Samir admitted.

"What were you _thinking_?" the voice made us go still, outside the barn Thyra was fulminating their sons with a single glance, "She could have _fell_! You know how _dangerous_ that is!"

Both brothers pointed at me and spoke at the same time, "She began it," their sync would have been funny if this weren't the situation.

"Don't try to blame her!" Thyra yelled, she was going to continue but I interrupted.

"It _did_ was my fault, Mrs. Baugsson," I said, "I wanted to try it, they told me to don't do it, actually." I shrugged and gave her a half-hearted smile, "Sorry if it worried you." She calmed down almost immediately but that didn't save me from the scold.

"Well, you shouldn't have." Her voice was lower but still hard, "You could have get hurt. Riding a horse can be _very_ dangerous."

"I'm sorry, ma'am." I looked down feeling every eye on me.

"You better are," she said more softly, "Now get down, and you are not going to ride again in a week."

"Yes, ma'am." She returned to the longhouse; I bit my lip ashamed, in my time here she hadn't talk to me like that.

"She grounded Ms. Manners," Ulman said, "Is this Ragnarok?"

I laughed a little, "I hope not, because I want to do this again."

* * *

I spent the rest of the day in the forest playing with Toothless and waiting for the night to come so we could take a flight. I remembered what I had learn, some things may work, _especially_ when I galloped, it just felt so familiar it must be what I did on our first flight.

" _Sun is coming down!"_ Toothless said and began to bounce around me, I laughed and took his saddle.

"Okay, calm down and come here." He did after one more round, he wasn't angry anymore, he was more than happy that I rode the horse, he'd said some things could work. Even when he didn't know what I was doing most of the time.

I put the saddle back on and didn't wait for the sun to hide, I jumped on Toothless' back and we took off. I couldn't have my back stretched, the saddle didn't let me since I have no reins to hold on, juts the handles. But I did hug Toothless with my legs, he didn't need to speak to say it was right or not, I could feel his discomfort and when I did he didn't show any.

I tried to push my legs to indicate him left or right and it worked to little changes of direction, to fully turn I needed to tilt my body too and it helped to keep balance. We glided under the stars and the chill air kept my mind awake.

"Okay, bud. Wanna go faster?" I said tilting my head to the side so I could se his expression, he twisted his neck and gave a toothless smile, "Then show me what you got." I leaned forward and opened his tail wide.

In a second Toothless' wings began to beat faster and my heart did too. I got closer to him to be more streamline. Without a word, just out if instinct I twisted my foot and we twisted right, we began to gain speed one more time.

I leaned closer to go even faster, my chest was touching the saddle and even then I could feel Toothless' drumming heart against my chest and I tried desperately to match it, to be one with him.

The air screamed in my ears and I narrowed my eyes so the air didn't hit them directly. Toothless just kept going faster and I didn't stop him. The feeling was amazing, better than riding a horse.

The wind made Toothless' wings whistle like a banshee. A sound every Viking feared. A sound I'd fell in love with.

We didn't rest that night, why would we?

Being a dragon should be the most amazing thing on Midgard, being on the air, don't having responsibilities, don't having to worry. Just… fly… fly wherever you wanted to go.

And now I had the opportunity to be one.

* * *

I could have said I was still sick; I could have stay with Toothless and sleep. But for some reason I let him sleep and walked to the town.

Clouds had win the sky on the night and now a light rain was falling over the village and on the forest, but it seemed to get worse with every steep I gave.

I didn't notice the distressed conversation of every villager as I made my way to the smith. I greeted Thorvaldr and put to work on a saddle without noticing his own distress. I didn't notice anything until I herd familiar voices calling my name.

"Hiccup! You are fine!" I raised my head to see seven Vikings running to me under the rain.

"Yes, I am. Why?" I asked confused.

"You didn't hear?" Ulman asked more confused than me. "Last night a banshee was in the town."

"A ban- oh! It wasn't a banshee." I laughed, and once again I spoke before thinking. I blamed the lack of sleep.

"What are you talking about?" Nadia said, "What else could made a sound like that?"

I suddenly had an idea, and got serious, "A dragon," I said lowly, like if I didn't want to say it, "in Berk there is a dragon that made that sound before _every_ strike," I made a pause to add tension –thank you, Gobber-, "a _Night_ _Fury_."

They looked at each other nervous, Ram broke the silence, "Night Furies are myths to make children go to sleep," he laughed nervously.

"They aren't myths," I shook my head, "I've seen one." I tried not to laugh at their terrified expressions.

"D-did you killed it?" Leif asked, even when I had already said that I haven't killed a dragon.

"Nope," I answered then got another idea and rolled my sleeve to let show a scar a dragon had let me years ago, "but it let me this." Their eyes widened.

"A-and how is it?" Lana asked in wonder, after all, no one had ever seen one.

"The rumors are true," I said darkly, leaning on the working table, "the beast's scales are as black as the night, its blast can take down entire buildings. The unholy offspring of _lighting_ and _death_ _itself_ ," suddenly a thunder roared making them jump, "It never steals food, _never_ shows itself, and when it strikes… it _never misses._ "

"S-so you think a Night Fury was here last night?" Nadia asked.

I shrugged, "There's no way to tell, but I'm pretty sure it was one."

* * *

The rain became a storm and Thorvaldr let me leave. The teens had returned to the farm after I had scared them, which was good because they would surely force me to stay with them on the storm.

Just when I was out of view Toothless had run to me, worried I could have got hurt. "What? For the _banshee_?" I laughed.

" _What's a ban-she?"_ he asked don't understanding my joke.

"They are female spirits," I explained, "they are omens of death. When one begins to wail is because someone is about to die."

" _I haven't heard any wailing."_

"Well, everyone did last night. They thought _we_ were a banshee." I laughed again. "The sound you make with your wings is very alike to it. I think that another reason why we related you to death."

" _What?"_ he was still confused.

"We call you a Night Fury," I explained first.

" _Night Fury? That's what you call when I get close."_ He realized, _"Nightfurygetdown."_

I laughed a little, "It's separated, buddy, we scream your name, to alert everyone who haven't hear that you are there, then scream to get down to protect ourselves."

We reached our little camp and Toothless burned the ground to heat it and rested on it. I waited for it to cool down a bit then sat under his wing to protect me from the rain.

"And your description in the Dragon Manual is: _"the unholy offspring of lighting and death"._ " I stoke his scales as he rested his head on his paws.

The dragon purred, _"I like how that sounds."_

"Though, I would go more for: _"kitty of death"_." I said and he shoot me death glare, "Okay, _"_ majestic _kitty of death"_."

" _Majestic,"_ he tried the word, _"I like that, what does it mean?"_

I smiled to him, "That you're amazing." The dragon purred again. "Oh, I haven't told you the best part." His ear-plates went up but he didn't open his eyes. I began to tell him what happened on the smith.

He didn't laughed but I felt his happiness, and there was a slight smile on his scaly lips. He was just a soft, big, black cat; the only times he had looked like he could kill someone was when I first meet him on the woods and when he was fighting against my- against Stoick.

" _But not every night-person has black scales,"_ he mentioned, _"Most night-people have different shades of dark blue or gray."_

"Really?" I frowned, "I haven't seen anyone aside from you," I shrugged, "I thought everyone was like that," after a moment I asked, "then why are you black?"

The dragon shrugged, _"I don't know, I just hatched like that. It happen sometimes, it's very weird but it does."_ There was a pause were I just scratched his black scales imagining them in a dark blue, it would suit him.

"Does it happen to other dragons too?" I asked him.

" _I guess,"_ Toothless said, _"I haven't seen another black fire-people. There are some that hatch fully white, though."_

The conversation dropped again, I kept scratching Toothless for a while until another question came to mind, "from where are you? You said you weren't from the nest in the Archipelago."

" _No, I'm not. My birth nest is far to the east."_ He's mood changed, I could feel a bit of anxiety irradiating from him.

"Then what were you doing on there?" I asked anyways, couldn't stop feeling curious about his past.

" _We are not Vikings, we don't live attached to a nest. You stay if you want if not you can leave as soon as you can protect yourself."_ Toothless explained, _"Some fire-people decide to stay in the same nest, some go out to find a mate and another nest, and some just go out to see."_ He made a long pause, _"I wanted to see… I wanted to see this world but chose a wrong night-sun and ended on there."_

A wrong _night-sun_?

"If you wanted to see the world why did you stay?"

" _It's not that easy… I couldn't."_

"But you said you don't get attached… did you had a mate?" I asked uncomfortable with the change of subject.

" _No…"_ he made another pause, _"Having a mate attach you to a place. I wanted to see."_

"We will see." I promised him, "and the first thing we are going to see is your birth nest."

He opened his eyes, _"You promise?"_ I smiled and nodded, _"For the night-suns?"_

I frowned, "Night-suns?" he pointed up to the cloudy sky, after thinking a moment I asked, "You mean stars?" Toothless growled lowly, yeah, I think he means stars. "Why for the stars?"

" _Nigh-suns are always there, they have been there forever and they don't die."_ He explained, _"No mater if this sun bright more, when it hide you can see they are still there. And if you travel above the clouds you can see them. If you make a promise for the night-suns your promise stays there forever."_

I looked up to the clouds and tried to look beyond then and beyond the shinny sun, they were still there. "Then I promise, for the night-suns, that we'll go to your birth nest." I smiled and cuddled on his side to sleep, he purred and pulled me closer.

Toothless opened his jaw and let out a rather loud roar; an action I have learned it mean _"Thank you."_

* * *

The storm got worse the next day but by the afternoon the skies had calmed letting a light rain. Since it was already late I didn't bothered to go to the blacksmith. Instead I stayed to play with Toothless.

Playing with hatchlings was hard and playing with Toothless was harder; he caught me up too quickly and I never can catch him. And to top it off his games were ruder.

So –once again- I found myself pinned to the ground as he snarled in victory. His eyes were sharp as he looked me down, but I just frowned and pulled out my lower lip, that look didn't scared me anymore and I knew he was playing.

He wouldn't hurt me.

His pupils dilated and he licked my face, "Agh! Toothless, no." I pushed his head away but he still had me pinned against the mud.

" _Do you know how to fight?"_ Toothless asked tilting his head.

"Yes, I know," I sighed plopping my arms on my sides.

" _It doesn't look like,"_ well, thank you for the compliment. He got off and prepared to pounce, a position that would be scaring if it wasn't for his swinging tail, _"again,"_ he said but in a more serious tone.

"Nah, I'm tired, buddy." I waved him off and walked back to the camp.

" _Is it because I always win?"_ Toothless asked innocently and followed me, _"I think you are out of shape,"_ he told me, _"you need to train more, you carry sharp-metal but never use it. And when you trained with dragons you didn't fight."_ He pointed out and I rolled my eyes, I thought I'd get rid off this talks _, "You need to fight and train."_

"And what you know about human training?" My voice sounded biter than I want it but Toothless didn't noticed.

" _I've seen some things,"_ he said proudly and walked away around the trees, he returned with a branch in his mouth, _"take this and attack me,"_

I raised an eyebrow and took the stick slowly, he walked off and took a fight stance, "I'm not going to hit you," I said and dropped the branch.

" _Yes you are, it won't hurt,"_ he assured me.

"Are you calling me _weak_?"

" _No, but I don't think a tree-limb would hur-"_ I picked up the branch and threw it to his head before he could end, _"Ow! Okay, it did hurt,"_ he admitted, _"but now you lose your fake sharp-metal."_

I rolled my eyes, "Toothless I'm not going to fight you."

" _Why not?"_

"I think it's clearly why," Toothless tiled his head don't seeing the obvious, "I _can't_ fight and I _can't_ win."

" _Yes you can,"_ he insisted, _"you just need to practice."_

"Haven't you seen my arms? I don't have the strength." I turned before he could say anything else and ended walking to the camp.

Toothless walked in front of me and snarled, _"You work with metal don't you?"_

I sighed, "Yes, but-"

" _Then you are strong!"_

"No! I am not!" I yelled, "I am _little_ , _weak_ , and _fragile_." I remarked every word, the look of horror on Toothless eyes made turn away, I hugged myself and kept walking.

" _Who told you that?"_ he asked softly.

I sat by the turned off campfire and hugged my knees, "Whole Berk, basically." I answered putting my chin over a knee, "It is true, I'm not buff I'm skinny," I sighed, "more than anyone, and even if someone else is skinny they have strength. I don't."

Toothless walked to my side, _"You body have nothing to do with it,"_ he assured me, _"and what if you can't fight like them? You need to find a way that suits you."_

"I was though every way to fight and to use any weapon. But I'm just… to weak to do so."

" _That's why you should find_ your _way. Your body may not be built for strength but for agility. It's like with fire-people, we are all different, every one of us were built for a different propose. Some bigger, some smaller; with big wings or none; able to fly or to swim or run."_

Toothless stood at his full size and from the ground he looked even bigger, _"You see me big, don't you?"_ I nodded, _"There are bigger fire-people than me."_ he sat down and I frowned slowly.

"Yes but you are fast," I replied.

" _Exactly! My body is for speed, our dark scales designed to hide in the night sky."_ He poked my chest; _"You have that body for something."_

I sighed heavily, he may have point but "Humans are not like dragons. Our body type can change even in the same family. It all depends of how your parents are and to luck." I explained him, "and that doesn't matter anyways. Ruffnut is skinny, Tuffnut is skinny, Asher is not exactly buff like Snotlout of Fishlegs but they are strong anyways, I'm not. They are right, I'm just a nuisance."

" _DON'T SAY THAT!"_ Toothless roared and the loud sound made me jump and looked at him wide-eyed, _"They are wrong! You may be small, you may be annoying sometimes but you are_ not _weak, you are not_ fragile _!"_ he exhaled trough his nostrils as to calm himself, _"They had told you that so many times you began to believe it and made yourself weak."_

"That… doesn't have sense."

" _Yes it does!"_ he roared again, _"They have get into your head and made you thought you are something you are not! I know that because that what_ she _does!"_ he realized what he said too late; it was obvious in his face he had speak more than he should.

"She?" I asked. Toothless shifted nervous and looked away.

" _Forget I said that,"_ I looked away too, thinking.

She… _'Once I didn't ate for two moons.' 'Aren't queens supposed to see you have enough food?'_ She…

"Toothless…" I said slowly, part of my brain still on my memories; his nervousness then was like what he was showing now, "What's going on in that nest?"

The black dragon rested on the ground and let out all the air for his nose as he laid his head on his paws, _"bad things."_

My mind traveled to Berk, to the raids; they don't have that much raids in here. It was all inside the archipelago, it was all on that nest.

"Toothless," I said again but he turned his eyes away, "I need to know," I kneel to be closer to him and softly put a hand on his head.

" _Fuzzy, I'll explain you. But… not now, okay?"_ he said and I could feel how the simple thought hunted him, I could feel how scared he was of the memories. _Bad things…_

I sighed and looked up to the dark clouds, "You promise?" I asked and his eyes followed mines looking, too, beyond everything and into the stars.

" _For the night-suns,"_ he promised.

I leaned against his bare neck and caressed his warm scales, "You are growing fast," I told him and his eyes returned to me, "you'll need a new saddle, buddy."

" _You have been working with animal-skin and metal for weeks making things for Vikings you don't even know and_ now _you got the idea to make something for me."_ he said annoyed, _"you are a very good friend, Fuzzy."_ He let his head fall on his paws again. Wait… was that _sarcasm_?

I laughed, "Yes, a friend that is going to take you for a night flight," I said knowing that would cheer him up. A flight was what we need to forget the later conversations.

Toothless stood up and licked my face, "Like I said, you are a very good friend."

I laughed and took his saddle to put it on, "Wait," I said realizing something, "did you call me _'fuzzy'_?"

" _I have called you like that since ever,"_ he said confused.

"Oh… I didn't understand you until now," I said putting the rope in the mechanism. "Why?" I asked.

" _For the hair on you head and clothes,"_ he said proudly, _"do you like it?"_

I laughed and jumped on his back, "I love it." I had called him _Toothless_ for his smile; he could call me _Fuzzy_ for my hair.


	13. The Dragon Conqueror

The clouds hadn't left the town in the whole week. With so many rains this began to look like Berk. Some days it was light and some kids were out laughing and playing in the mud, but there were days when if you put a foot outside for a second it looked like you went swimming.

Not the luckiest week for me.

In the other hand, I had already finished Toothless' new saddle. We tried it but I realized I couldn't fit some parts of the mechanism on the new size so I needed to remake them.

I've paid Thorvaldr for all the material I've used on the saddle. When I told him I wanted to do a saddle he was totally okay with it but raised a lot of question when he saw what I was doing. It wasn't like anything he had seen. Of course it wasn't, no one makes saddles for dragons.

It took me some days to make it, it took me one night on Berk but here I had a job and Thorvaldr let me work on mine when I got nothing else to do. Making the metal parts was going to be trickier. I made some of the parts, all by separate. And when I had one done I hid it from curious eyes in my bag.

Just a few more days and I'll be done. I had promised Toothless we would leave as soon as I had finished. And it was going to be just in time: winter will soon be over, in a few weeks maybe. I actually had no idea of what day it was but I wanted to leave already.

I had nothing against this place, I loved it actually, but I couldn't stay. I didn't belong here. I didn't belong _anywhere_.

The day was over, with a light rain outside. I picked up my things, putting my new sword on my new belt and my cloak over my shoulders. I allowed a smile as I took my sword.

Toothless was right, I wasn't weak. I didn't notice until now, after our weird conversation. I couldn't adequate to their fighting methods but it wasn't because I was weak, well, in part it was. I am weaker than other my age but that didn't stop me in Flashburn's academy to show I _am_ a Viking.

And still, Berk's swords were heavy and I could barely swing one with both hands, the one I used to train in Flashburn's island was… imported from outside the Barbaric Archipelago. And _this_ one, it was made just for me, perfect for my size and light to my noodle arms. I made it myself and I was more than proud of it.

Toothless had assured me that I'd become stronger. And he had forced me to "train" with him. _"If you can fight a fire-person you can fight a Viking."_ He had said. So I had got ruder in his games, I kicked and punched him when he tried to get on me, I never used the sword against him in fear I'll end hurting him badly. The dragon had insisted that I was absolutely _not_ weak. He had said that I punch hard and that my strikes with the "fake sharp-metal" were strong.

I threw the bag over my shoulder and said goodbye to Thorvaldr and Olaf that was still in his tantrum. I put the hood on to protect me against the light rain; I hadn't left the smith when both a dragon roar and humans screams cut through the cold air.

In the moment I heard my eyes searched for it, it wasn't a long search. At least three Monstrous Nightmares were flying on the far side of the town and quickly houses began to be on fire.

I stood there as Vikings began to pull out their weapons and ran to the fire. I couldn't move; all I could do was see as two more Nightmares joined the others. Thorvaldr took a hammer and pushed me aside so he could pass, "Sta' inside!" He ordered to both, Olaf and me.

The boy took my arm and pulled me inside the smith. But my eyes were still on the fire and the dragons. Finally, my brain started working and I realized too late what was happening.

A raid.

Oh no, they are going to _kill_ them.

I ran hoping it wasn't too late, I heard Olaf shouting but I didn't mind to pay attention to his words. I almost fell twice on the slippery rock paths as I made my way trough the town.

"Stop!" I screamed as I elbowed my way to the front and heard older Vikings telling me to get off the way and that I shouldn't be there.

"Hiccup?" I turned to the familiar voice and found Haldor aside his sons with an ax in his hand, "This place is dangerous, lass. Go to the farm, you'll be safe there." He said firmly and turned.

"What?" my voice was higher than normal, "No," I said like if the idea disgusted me.

"Look, I understand that where you come from you are a warrior, but they are Monstrous Nightmares," he said pointing at the sky with his ax, "This is too dangerous, even for you." He walked off.

"I am _not_ going anywhere!" I yelled walking to him.

"Samir take her to the farm," he said firmly barely looking over his shoulder and I fell Samir's hands in my arms seconds later, I tried to get him off but his grip was hard.

"Let me _go_!"

"Hiccup, calm down!" he yelled behind me, "You _can't_ be here." I kept struggling as Birger joined his father.

"FIRE!" someone screamed in the distance and a catapult I had never seen hit a green Monstrous Nightmare down, not far from where we were. The Vikings ran to it and threw ropes to it.

"No!" I yelled and fought Samir who was dragging me back. The Nightmare set itself on fire but it turned off in a second, it roared afraid. The ropes caught its body and forced it down, one caught its neck and the men pulled him to the ground.

I sighed and stopped fighting, I didn't want to do this… not again. "Forgive me," I said and instantly kicked his shinbone; he released me with a pained yell that caught Birger's attention.

Birger caught my wrist as I ran by his side, "Hiccup what are you doing?" I twisted my hand to get him off but he pulled me back, I elbowed him before he could get a better grasp and made my way to the front.

A man with a short black beard approached the dragon with a raised sword; he swung his sword at the neck. "No!" I yelled again, my voice surprisingly bumming over the Viking's yells. Running to the man, I pulled out my sword.

The swords collided in the air.

I took advantage of everyone's shock and pushed the man away with the sword. Raising my sword between the Vikings and me, I stood with my back to the dragon.

"What are you doing kid?" the black-bearded man asked angrily.

"Not letting you kill them," I said with determination. There was a little moment of silence then a battle cry on my right, I turned and blocked a blonde Viking's attack.

His sword pushed mine but I resisted to give in. The man held a long sword in a hand and a torch in the other and he didn't seem to give up any of them. The sword went for me again and I blocked it. I didn't try to attack; I just wanted to protect the dragon. I kicked the man in the stomach with a yell and took him down. He released both sword and torch as he fell on the ground.

I thanked the gods for letting me do that and prayed for any other to attack me. I picked up the torch to threat with the fire to anyone who dared to get close. But no one did.

"You don't have to kill them," I said harshly. They laughed, a response I was expecting, "just see," I shut them up and sheathed my sword. I turned to the dragon; it was just a few feet away from me.

The green Monstrous Nightmare snarled. "It's okay, don't worry," I said, my voice soft and even, "I'm not going to hurt you," I tried to put the torch down, just in case the dragon saw it as a threat; the dragon's eyes followed it rather interested.

It reminded me to the dragons on the nest and in their fascination with the way I made fire and to fire in general. I moved the torch the farthest I could to my right in a slow move; the dragon followed my hand, its pupils dilating. I moved my hand to my left and it followed again.

I calmly gave a step forward, there were murmurs coming from my back but I didn't mind them. Slowly I let the torch on the floor, now the dragon had its attention on me, it was looking me curiously; I rose my hand slowly and gave another steep extending my hand to its muzzle. I didn't need to look away; the green dragon immediately closed its eyes and let its horn press against my hand.

The Vikings gasped in horror. I smiled as the dragon opened its yellow eyes and focused them on me. I stood with my back stretched and turned to the people.

"She controlled it," some people said, "It didn't bite her," " _How_?" they demanded to know, "A Dragon _Conqueror_ ," they began to say and it was the last thing I heard.

In my head Dagur's words floated around, _the true will get out sooner or later…_ I didn't pay attention to what were they saying but I did to their expressions, their confusion was turning to anger.

My eyes searched for three redheads in the crowd, they weren't angry, they were still shocked and… sad; I had lied to them, now they knew it … _and you would need to get out of here._

I quickly pulled out my sword and turned to the dragon, its eyes turned to slits. I cut he rope that captured its neck first, the dragon understood I was freeing it and began to twist under the ropes to get itself out off them as I cut them.

The Monstrous Nightmare roared and it got free in a matter of seconds. It bit the back of my cloak and tossed me on its back, I fell with an "ooop" and the dragon instantly extended its wings. I freaked out and moved to hug its neck for support, sword still in hand.

Once in the air, the dragon roared a call and the other dragons, smaller than it, began to gather around it as we took to the forest.

My heart wanted to leave my body through my mouth and my breath was irregular as we flew over the trees. I closed my eyes to get off of everything and buried my face on the warm scales of the dragon.

A roar I knew too well got me back to reality, "Land!" I yelled automatically, the Nightmare looked at me confused, I looked down and searched for the clearing where our camp was, "There," I pointed, "Can you land there?" I said more softly.

The green Monstrous Nightmare landed followed by the others, I instantly jumped down, put the sword in its place and ran for my things; Toothless ran into the camp and pulled me close to him before I could do anything and snarled to the other dragons.

The Nightmares snarled back, "It's not the time for being protective!" I yelled and stood up with some clumsiness for my things, "Pack up bud. We are leaving!" I knelt and opened the basket I used to get Toothless fish and began to toss everything inside.

" _What happened?"_ Toothless joined my side.

"A raid," I pointed back to the Nightmares and forced all my clothes inside.

_Toothless_ growled lowly in understanding and began to hand me my notebooks and pencils. I forced them inside the satchel and didn't bother to fold the map I had extended on the floor as I pushed it inside as well.

A dragon roared on the town and a column of fire could be seen above the trees as it fired and roared in distress. The bigger Monstrous Nightmares looked to the smaller ones… they were a _family_.

" _Inferno!"_ the big, dark blue Nightmare roared and took off, the other ones following.

"No, wait!" I yelled and tied the satchel and basket on the saddle before jumping on it without bothering to put on the harness, let's just hope we don't do anything dangerous, "C'mon, buddy, we gotta stop them," Toothless roared and we took off, "Hey, wait!" I called them again and Toothless and I flew in front of them, forcing them to stop, "They are going to catch all of you if you go there!"

The dragons stopped snarling and their expressions dropped, they saw my point, "Take them away from here, we're going." I told the parents, they hesitated, looking worriedly behind us but there was no time.

The older dragons growled to their offspring and flew off, "Let's go for that Nightmare, bud," Toothless roared and we flew over the town at high speed.

Toothless' wings began to whistle lowly and some people already raised their eyes to the dark sky as I examined the situation down there, the young dragon were trapped under a net, "you'll need to shot," I told Toothless and pointed to the net opening that was tightly closed, "there," we twisted in the air, going upside down for a moment -miraculously I didn't fall- and we dived to the town at full speed.

A banshee-like sound announced our presence. I could feel Toothless getting a bit hotter below me as he charged a blast and a smirk grew on my lips as I waited for the explosion. The men on the ground looked up and someone screamed, "Night Fury! GET DOWN!"

The plasma blast hit the ground and the impact send the men flying back, Toothless had been very precise and the opening set on fire along with most of the net, the Nightmare got out of the net but didn't fly.

" _Trapped,"_ it was the only thing Toothless said as he looked back to the dragon.

"Then let's land," we twisted again and Toothless shot to make the space between the Nightmare and the Vikings, I jumped down before Toothless fully landed and ran to the dragon.

The orange dragon didn't snarl but it was very anxious, "don't worry we are going to get you out," I told it and put my hand on its nose so it would calm down. It did and pointed to its legs, they were trapped in a bola.

"Night Fury," someone gasped and Toothless responded with a threatening snarl.

"It's da girl!" someone else yelled, I pulled out my dagger and cut the ropes, the Nightmare took a fighting stance, roaring to the Vikings that had trapped it.

I jumped on Toothless, "Time to go!" both dragons took flight but it couldn't be that easy… like if it wasn't difficult already.

"Fire!" someone yelled and bolas and rocks -with the help of catapults- were sent in our direction.

" _Fuzzy, right!"_ Toothless growled and I didn't hesitate and changed pedals, we evaded a rock and I looked back as we got out of their range. My breathing began to even as we got away form the town.

The rest of the brood joined us on the air and they purred and nuzzled the orange dragon in relief.

* * *

We flew all night, straight to a mountain and landed in the forest at sunrise. I got off Toothless with clumsiness and sat on the grass with my legs crossed. My heart itched, I didn't know why I cared so much.

I had nothing in there. But it hurt me anyway.

I sighed and buried my face in my hands.

The young Monstrous Nightmares, which had followed us here along with their parents, were playing behind me and the older dragons watched them. _"You okay?"_ Toothless asked. I nodded and tried to look like nothing had happened.

Toothless purred and nuzzled my side as he sat with me.

"I didn't want to go," I said admitted, "not like this… not again. Not with everyone thinking I'm a traitor." Toothless cooed to assure me what I did was right.

"Dagur was right… everywhere is going to be like this," I had nothing against dragons, they had shown me kindness and opened my eyes to a new world which I was part of now, but… I just… I can't live with dragons; I'd need human interaction to simple things as buy clothes or re-making Toothless' saddle.

I would need to go to a village soon, I knew it. I hadn't even finished the new saddle! And not everyone knows about me now but what about later on? Every Viking on Midgard will know about the traitor that chose dragons over her tribe and they will know my name and how I look.

This was so messed up. It was basically impossible to live like this!

" _That guy you were talking the other day?"_ Toothless asked I almost had forgotten what we were talking of. I mentioned Dagur, yes, but… Toothless knew that?

"You heard?" I asked him, I didn't remember seeing or hearing him.

The dragon gave a short nod, _"Yes, but I didn't want to get close. He could have hurt you with his sharp-metal if I got close."_ My lips twitched a little in the hint of a smile, he was more afraid of _me_ getting hurt than him. _"Is he your brother?"_ he asked hesitantly.

"No," I said confused.

" _He called you sister,"_ he pointed out, _"I thought humans called each others like that when they shared parents."_

"Yes, we do, but… we do it too when it's a close friend." I tried to explain.

_"He didn't look like your friend,"_ Toothless said confused, _"he said something about your birth-nest… to take it back?"_

I sighed, "Yes, he did… he wanted us to join him in his armada and kill both our fathers so we could lead our tribes." The way I said it even surprised myself, it was too casual to be speaking of killing someone.

" _Why would he think of doing that?"_ Toothless asked horrified.

"That, among other things, is why we call him _"Deranged"_ ," I said exaggerating the word, "he is part of the Berserker tribe, they are the craziest tribes among Vikings."

" _It's good you said no,"_ Toothless rested his head on my lap and I began to pet him, thinking of how horrified he was on the fact of killing my father. I looked back at the Monstrous Nightmares, how they were playing peacefully –as peacefully a dragon can play- with their parents.

"If I had said yes… would you have come?" I asked Toothless and began to untie the things on his saddle.

He stopped purring for a moment and answered, _"I'd told you that you are crazy, and that's not how things works, but… you are my friend, I will always follow you."_ I smiled at the loyalty of Toothless. He was better than any friend I had ever had.

" _You should sleep,"_ Toothless said after a while, _"you had worked all day with humans and fly in the night with me, you haven't slept well in a long time."_ He got off my lap and rested behind me, he gestured me with his head and I crawled under his wing, so it will cover me of cold and the rising sun.

Under his wing it looked like night, just a few rays of light peeked inside in some places.

I cuddle closer to his chest to hear his rhythmic heart and let it lull me to sleep.

* * *

When I woke up the sun was on top of the sky. The day was clear, not a cloud to give a hint of last week's storms. I looked around for Toothless and found him shaking weirdly on the ground.

"What are you doing?" I asked him and stood up, shaking off the dirt on my clothes. He didn't answer with words; he just kept rubbing his back on the ground and growling angrily. "Buddy," I said and tried to stop him, "is it bothering you?" I asked, referring to the saddle.

Toothless growled out a yes and began to bit the metal pieces that surrounded his legs. "Okay, calm down, let me take it off," I offered him softly and he stopped biting and sat down.

"Do you know how much I slept?" I asked him as I took off the saddle. Toothless huffed and flinched as I tried to take it off, "calm down, bud, it's okay." I patted his neck.

" _Probably a day,"_ he said, _"maybe two,"_ I rolled my eyes. Never trust a dragon with time.

"There it is," I said taking off the saddle completely; Toothless rolled his shoulders and opened his wings slightly, then began to run around the area. I frowned and looked at the metal that circled Toothless' leg, it had green blood on it. "Buddy, come here."

Toothless stopped and jogged to my side, I knelt by his leg and searched for a wound. Toothless flinched and snarled as I touched the sore spot. I grimaced, "This is not good." The dragon tilted his head, "you can't use this saddle anymore," he huffed in disagreement.

"It will hurt you more. You are already bleeding."

" _I want to fly!"_

"Not with this saddle!" the dragon turned and walked away, "Okay, yeah, ignore me all you want. What are you doing?" I asked when he began to move my things; he returned with the new saddle on his mouth and dropped it at my feet.

"That will not work without the new mechanism," I tried to explain; this time he did ignore me. He tried, at least, he was giving me his back but I caught him peeking over his shoulder to see if I was watching how much he was ignoring me.

Two can play this game. I shrugged and took both saddles with me and put them with the other things. I put out my dried fish and rested my back on a tree as I eat. Toothless began to grumble but I kept ignoring him.

A few minutes later I finished my food and the black dragon was still peeking over his wing as he "ignored" me. I lay on the grass, giving Toothless my back and used my arms as a pillow.

Toothless cooed and walked to me; he purred my name once he reached my side but I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. The dragon laid at my side with his head on me, purring my name again.

" _Are you mad at me?"_ he sounded hurt.

"No," I said softly, "you are too cute for that." I smiled and turned to him.

" _Cute,"_ Toothless repeated, _"What does it mean?"_

My smile got wider as I thought of an answer, "It means that you are too good to be mad at."

" _I am good,"_ he agreed.

"You are by far the cutest dragon I have ever met," I told him and he purred happily. Loud screeches made me rise on my elbows and turn; the Monstrous Nightmares were landing, the younger ones dripping water. I looked at them confused; I thought they had left.

One of the older dragons, the green one, walked to us and opened its mouth letting fish fall from it. Toothless' eyes lighted up. "Uh, thank you," I said still confused; I stood up and patted Toothless head, "I already ate, it's all yours, bud." Happily the black dragon began to eat.

I walked to the green dragon and raised my hand; it touched it without hesitation and purred. "I thought you'll be gone by now," I told it confused. He, I think it was a male.

The dragon shook its head and growled lowly pointing at the fish. I look at the pile of food confused, _"they wanted to thank us,"_ Toothless explained, _"we were asleep so they had to wait,"_

"Oh," I mouthed and turned to the green dragon again, "It's okay," I told him, "I wasn't letting you get hurt." I smiled at them and my eyes spotted the younger dragons that were chasing each other.

The young orange Nightmare ran to my side and nuzzled me, I laughed and patted its head. The dragon began to play around me and the other younglings joined, in a minute I was running with them, trying to catch them.

They were smaller than Toothless but I still could get to their backs and the young Nightmares were fast runners. As we ran everywhere I notice trees and spots of grass burned, it told me they had a thing with setting things on fire. Maybe that's why they set _themselves_ on fire.

I didn't know how but I managed to jump on the orange dragon's back. I hug its neck with a triumphant laugh. The Nightmare began to shake and jump trying to get me off and I bounced on its back but didn't give up. I felt the dragon's scales warm up fast and suddenly it was on fire.

"Whoa!" I instantly let myself fall on the ground and checked my clothes, my new blue tunic was slightly burned but nothing else, I sighed in relieve and looked at the young dragon, "Inferno, huh?" I said remembering its name, "It fits you," I nodded and the dragon purred, closing its eyes proud of itself.

I tilted a little my head and narrowed my eyes, looking at it and its siblings, I noticed a little difference in their bodies, some had their jaw a bit wider and some had their horns more twisted.

I'll need to ask Toothless that later.

Getting on my knees, I caressed the Nightmare and inspected my hand, running my thumb trough my fingers it had some kind of sweat? Probably spit, I don't think dragons can sweat.

"How do you set yourself on fire?" I asked it –her, it was probably a 'her'-, the dragon's body covered in fire one more time, "but, how?" I asked again and the dragon gave me a confused look.

_"She has a thing for wanting to know how everything works,"_ Toothless explained rolling his eyes.

"I don't!" I turned to him, "I'm just curious." The orange Nadder left to play with her siblings seeing I wasn't talking to her anymore.

" _Human curiosity is weird,"_ Toothless said.

"That's another way of saying you don't even know,"

" _We don't need to know, we just do it,"_ he sat at my side and sighed, _"fire-people are called fire-people for a reason, we have an inner-fire. That is what let us breathe it."_

"So, you have like a campfire inside you?" I asked more confused than before.

" _No," Toothless said tired, "it's, uh… I don't know how to explain it. It is not something you can touch but… you feel it. Burning inside you."_

"And how you make fire out of it?"

" _We don't make fire out of it,"_ he said and thought on how to explain it, this was getting more confusing for both of us, _"most fire-people make gas inside us; that gas is what we can set on fire and shot it, just with a spark. But not all fire-people is the same."_

Toothless watched the brood of Monstrous Nightmares and said, _"Their saliva can be set on fire, but they don't need a spark. Fire-skin people can heat themselves up at will. They can heat their mouths to breathe fire or heat their bodies to cover themselves on fire."_

"Wow," was the only thing I could say at the moment. The thing in their bodies _was_ spit. "I need to write that down." I said and stood up to search for my sketchbook. I made a draw of the Monstrous Nightmare and put what Toothless had said in a note on the side.

I spent the rest of the day trying to measure the dragons. The older ones were kind of easy but the younger ones was another story. I had to chase them and try to put them down but it was hopeless. Maybe it would be easier when they were asleep.

As the sun got down Toothless and I began to recollect wood for the campfire. Toothless turn it on with a low flame and finally the young Monstrous Nightmares calmed down.

All the dragons sat around the fire and looked at it, rather impressed and curious. I took advantage of it and measured the younger dragons and wrote it aside the sketch.

An idea came to the top of my mind and I took a bowl from my things and asked to a Nightmare to spit on it. I took off my sword and poured the slightly green liquid on it.

" _What are you doing?"_ Toothless asked as I extended my arm the farthest I could, not knowing what could happen and put the point of the sword closer to the campfire. The sword was instantly covered in flames and a nervous chuckle left my lips.

It worked.

I moved the sword slowly with a huge grin on my face. Amazing. It was amazing. I played with the sword around me for a long time and it didn't turn off. I inspected the sword, by now it should be melting but it seemed fine. The Monstrous Nightmare's saliva was still burning, letting the weapon intact.

I kept playing with the sword; the saliva lasted long. I moved the sword in wide circles and the dragons followed the fire with their eyes, tilting their heads a little. Constantly, I checked if the metal was melting but it even was red. The spit still protecting the sword; even after so long.

But it was starting to worry me, is it ever going to end? "Ugh… how do I turn it off?" I said a bit panicked and looked at Toothless.

I don't know why it surprised me that his eyes were still glued to the sword with his pupils very dilated. "Guys," I said, my voice now full of fear. That seemed to get Toothless out of the trance because he blinked and shook his head lightly before fixing his eyes on me.

" _I don't know. It was_ your _idea,"_ Toothless said. I looked at the sword closer.

"It doesn't seem to be getting over," the saliva was still there, burning. One of the older Nightmares, the dark blue one, smacked my hand with her tail making the sword fall on the grass. The blue dragon then sat over the weapon. After a minute, the dragon moved and the sword was completely off.

" _Again, again, again."_ The younger dragons were cooing.

I sat with Toothless, "I could make a lighter to turn this on, the problem would be to turn it off." I said.

" _Why would you want a fire sharp-metal?"_ Toothless asked a little offended since he was my source of fire.

I shrugged, "It could come in handy one day," the dragon huffed, "oh, don't act like you didn't like it." He rolled his eyes, "we still need to find a town to finish your saddle so I could make a lighter in the way."

Toothless looked up to the moon, _"Please, give me patience,"_ he told it making me turn my eyes to it. It wasn't the first time he turned to the moon like that, like if it were some _one._

I hugged my knees and rested on his body, "Why you talk to the moon?" I asked him curiously. He looked at me like if I was crazy.

Toothless sighed, _"right, you don't know,"_ he said tiredly.

"If you don't want to tell me you don't have to," I told him though his tone hurt me.

_"No, it's okay, it's just that I don't talk a lot and haven't stopped talking with you."_ I looked away, his words hurting me more; I annoyed him. _"You are not annoying,"_ He said and I really wondered if he could read my mind, _"well, sometimes you are."_ He admitted, _"It's just that fire-people don't talk that much like humans do. We can communicate without actual_ words, _unlike humans."_

That made me feel a bit better. Toothless lifted his eyes to the moon again and said, _"She is the Night Lady,"_ I lifted my eyes too, to the full moon, _"they are… kind of leaders to any fire-person on this world and the others."_

"This world?" I interrupted him; "You mean there are dragons in other worlds?"

" _Yes,"_ he said, finding my reaction strange, _"I thought you knew, Vikings had talk about them... in the world of fog-mist lives one, Nidhug,"_

_Fog-mist?_ I frowned and thought for a moment. Niflheim! The world of fog and mist, "Oh! Yeah, right…" I had completely forgotten, "uh… you can continue with the ladies," I waved him to continue and rested a cheek on my knee.

" _Well… they are to us what gods are to Vikings and they are in communication with the gods."_

I raised my eyebrows, "Really?"

_"Yes, there were ancient times when there was no war between humans and fire-people, we lived together and we were messengers from the gods to you. Most of us were born to be together with a human, we were supposed to guide you to a destiny already chosen for you by the gods."  
_

I frowned, the way he talked… "You lived in that time?"

" _I'm not that old,"_ he said offended, _"I was born in times of this war."_

"Oh, so how old are you?" I asked him.

Toothless rolled his eyes, _"we don't age like humans, do you want me to tell you about the Ladies or not?"_ I pursed my lips, now I get why he didn't like to talk, I interrupted in almost every word. I nodded so he could continue.

" _They walked in this world eons ago, when we all were just fire-people, we were the same, there was no fire-skin people, or two-heads people, or night-people. But as the winters passed we changed and changed until we got to be different as we are now…"_ they… evolved? I wanted to ask so many questions but I kept them for another time, _"there are even fire-people that don't breathe fire anymore."_ He said it like if it were ridiculous and I chuckled a little.

" _They are three,"_ he explained, _"and everyone gave us gifts that we still have and even when they are not in this world anymore they still help us, that's why they are so important."_ Toothless looked down to his paws and clenched his claws softly in the ground, _"The Earth Lady gives us rest, food, and strength. The Sky Lady gives us the ability to fly and our inner-fire."  
_

I was about to ask about the dragons that don't fly and the ones that don't breathe fire anymore but Toothless quickly explained, _"Even when some fire-people don't fly anymore and don't use fire our inner-fire is everything we are. It tells us what we want in this world, it gives us a propose and it helps us to keep going until we reach what we want."  
_

"And the Night Lady?" I asked looking up again; Toothless looked up too and sighed in adoration.

_"She… she has the most beautiful blue scales you will ever see, they are dark and still they shine like suns. It makes her look like the night sky."_ I looked at Toothless and smiled at the happiness in his eyes. _"The Night Lady is the one that gave us coordination. Eons ago the night sky was just illuminated by the moon; she didn't want us to get lost so she fired at the sky the more she could and a night-sun appeared in the distance, just above her, so if we wanted to come back, we just needed to follow the light. Doing that tired her out but she did it_ every _night, and every night a new night-sun appeared in the sky."_

"Wow," I looked up to the stars and how they filled the sky, it should have taken her time.

_"And… she is kind of a mother to every night-person, when fire-people began to change she gave us her scales, to camouflage into her creation. No other fire-person has our same colors."_

I looked at the dark blue Nightmare resting in front of us, "So, other Night Furies are darker than that?" I asked. Toothless nodded and let his head rest on his paws.

I rested my back on Toothless' body. Knowing all this, it was learning a whole new point of view of the world. No human know this. No human know dragons' history, or how they think, they don't even bother to know if they think at all.

And they do. They are intelligent, more than I thought. They had a past, they had evolved trough the years.

And it made me sad to know all this knowledge will die with me.


	14. The Book of Dragons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S BEEN A YEAR. I KNOW. (then I post this on FF and completely forgot to post it here too, I'm sorry)
> 
> Quite a crazy year, actually. I had had a lot of things going through my head that just didn't let me write or do anything I wanted to. Add college to that but I'm not stressing you out with my life. And I'm also not going to apologize bc I've been doing important stuff that kept me for writing this and I regret nothing BUT I do want to THANK all of you for the follows and favorites! Those and the reviews have really help me go through the year! So, thank you SO MUCH to both old and new readers, I love all of you!
> 
> Anyways, I finally managed to get this chapter out, it's a bit sloppy bc I've been writing it through the year and I mixed two chapters I think (if not three, this is by far the longest chapter I have ever writen) into this so I could keep the story going and reach the plot points that are the interesting stuff. I just let my favorites parts and the ones that would have a significant role on the futures chapters.
> 
> I do have a few things I want to say about this fanfic (I'm not quitting, don't worry) but I'm saying them at the end of the chapter, right now let's get ON WITH THE STORY!

 

**Chapter fourteen: The Book of Dragons**

Toothless was more than determinate to fly again.

He left the camp in the middle of the night to find a village and woke me up early to go and repair his saddle.

Unfortunately, there was only one blacksmith who was drowning in work and the mechanism wouldn't be ready until a few days.

So we were grounded.

I walked into the forest after thanking the blacksmith and called for Toothless once I knew no one would hear me. Oddly, the dragon didn't show.

"Toothless?" I repeated, now concerned. I felt someone staring at me and my concern disappeared. "Oh, no," I said feebly and began to run.

The black Night Fury landed behind me and followed. "I don't want to play!" I shouted but, according to the dragon, running meant play. I gave a tight turn, almost tripping with my own foot. It worked for a second, but only because I took him unprepared.

Toothless quickly turned and pounced on me. I tried to run faster but he tackled me from behind, taking me down with a loud "Ouch!" His paws pinned my arms to the ground and he snarled victoriously.

"It doesn't count, I wasn't playing," I groaned as he sat on my back.

 _"Of course, it counts,"_ He purred happily, _"you ran."_

"If I didn't, you would have pounced on me anyway and said it counted because I wasn't 'paying attention to possible threats.'" I didn't even try to shake him off. I already knew he wouldn't move and I couldn't lift with him on my back.

_"If you knew I would do that you should_ _have_ _attacked me. Then this is all for nothing!"_

"This is all for nothing," I mumbled but - of course - the dragon heard. He finally stood up and frowned at me. "I'm not fighting. I don't like to. Playing with you is fun but…" I didn't finish; I just stood up and walked away, shaking off some of the mud and dirt.

Toothless growled lowly, but seeing I didn't answer, he asked, _"But what?"_

"I don't even see myself as a warrior. And I rather not fight. I don't want to fight dragons… and I know I can't fight Vikings."

 _"You can,"_ Toothless insisted.

"No, you don't understand…" I turned to him almost yelling. I returned my voice to its normal volume. "I don't want to. It… hurts," I hugged myself. "I was accused of treason on Berk, and if I fight them -to save dragons- I'll just keep betraying my kind." Toothless cooed and made himself a place under my arm; I petted his head. "I won't let any dragon get hurt if I can, and I'll fight if I need to, but I'd rather not."

 _"I'll fight for you,"_ Toothless purred, _"You don't have to if it hurts."_

I hugged his head. After a short moment, he added: _"We still get to play, right?"_

I chuckled. "Yeah, we still can play,"

 _"Good, because I'm winning,"_ He said, bouncing away and taking a playful position in front of me. _"And when are we flying again?"_

"Yeah," I said carrying the word and clapping my hands awkwardly. "The new saddle will be ready in a few days." Toothless' expression fell. "It will be just a few days," I quickly said.

 _"I- It's okay,"_ he said, looking away, his tail swinging softly around him. _"What do we do until then?"_ He asked, facing me again.

"Well, now thanks to you, I'm gonna take a bath," I said as I looked down to my clothes.

 _"Bath?"_ Toothless asked, tilting his head.

"Yes, you know… to get dirt and bad odors off your body."

The black dragon grimaced. _"We don't take baths,"_ he said, slightly disgusted.

"Well, we –humans- do," I said slowly. "Now, let's go find a river or a pond before I break Gobber's record." I gestured to Toothless to begin walking but the dragon began to sniff me. "What are you doing?"

 _"You don't smell bad,"_ the dragon frowned, _"why take a bath?"_ I raised my arm and smelled my own armpit.

"I do smell bad! And I haven't taken a bath in… I don't even know how long it's been!"

_"You don't smell bad; you always smell like that!"_

"I- I don't- I don't smell like this always!" I said, disgusted. Did I really smell like this?

_"Yes, you do. It's your natural scent, but now it's stronger."_

"Well, I don't want it to be stronger," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

 _"I like how it smells,"_ the dragon said calmly, _"it smells_ _like_ _you."_

Though the comment –kind of- made me feel better, I scratched my skin. "I don't like how it feels. I'm all sweaty and I have dirt and ashes everywhere," I looked at my nails, now with dirt and sweat under them; I grimaced and hid my hand from myself.

Toothless rolled his eyes and finally began to walk. _"I'll never understand you, humans,"_ he muttered and I pretended I didn't hear.

* * *

 

This was, by far, the strangest bath I've ever taken.

I don't usually take baths outside. It had always frightened me that someone could watch me. I'd rather take baths in the comfort of the washing room –that was both for washing ourselves and the clothes.

But the weird part wasn't that. First of all, Toothless wouldn't take his eyes off me when I began to take my clothes off. It gave me an unsettling feeling. I had taken off my clothes in front of him before, all of the many times we fell into the freezing pond. Of course, I had never taken them _all_ off and he had never stared at me.

"You mind?" I asked more bitter that I meant to. Toothless made a confused growl. "Can you stop staring?" I asked more kindly, "It's making me _incredibly_ uncomfortable."

Toothless frowned, confused, and looked away rolling his eyes. _"Humans,"_ he sighed. I half-finished getting my clothes off when I caught Toothless spying.

"What's with you and staring?"

He looked away again. _"It's just that you have lots of spots_ _all over_ _your body._ _I've never noticed before."_

 _Spots?_ Frowning confused, I looked down at myself, at my freckled body, and understood. "Oh! they are freckles, buddy," I chuckled.

He looked at me again, walking closer and tilting his head. _"What are they for?"_

I shrugged, "Nothing, I guess."

_"They are just for decoration?"_

"Yeah, and by the way, you have spots too." Toothless frowned and inspected his body. His eyes lit up, noticing the gray spots on his scaly skin. The dragon began to jump excitedly around me at the new discovery.

I giggled and scratched his head when he stopped. "And... it's okay to see. It's just that I don't really like when people stare at me," I told him with a smile.

I was about to unknot my breast bindings when my own words reminded me to look around first. "Is someone else close?" I asked Toothless, my eyes searching for anyone hid behind a tree or bush.

Toothless raised his ears for a moment and looked around too, then shook his head. I could finally enter the water. The river was deep but I stayed close to the edge and sat on some low rocks - the water covered most part of my body.

On our way here, I had picked up some plants and made a soap. It wasn't the best one I've made but will do its job. Since I had no brush, I had to scratch the itchy sensation off my skin with my own nails; that let horrible red lines on all my body. Then, the second weird thing happened:

We heard a screech, not far from us and coming from above. Seconds later, the younger Nightmares landed by the river.

"What are you doing here?" I asked confused, half laughing; in response, the dragons jumped to the water, splashing Toothless and me all over and taking almost all the soap off me.

Toothless hissed and shook the water off before walking away. I laughed, looking at the Nightmares swimming. "You know, for a dragon that likes to set itself on fire, it's weird that you also like to swim." _Maybe it helps them to cool off._

The bright orange dragon swam close to me and I extended my hand to her. Inferno looked at me with big, bright yellow eyes... and bit my arm -gently- pulling me to the deeper part and making me yell.

Toothless screeched as I hugged Inferno's neck for dear life. "It's okay, buddy," I said, though the fear was still clearly in my voice. Inferno growled, confused. "I-I don't know how to swim," I said ashamed. For Thor's sake, I lived on a mass of earth surrounded by water! This was ridiculous- I was sixteen!

Inferno made a happy sound and pushed me to her back, giving me a ride to not-so-deep waters where I could be standing but the water still covered me.

"Thank you," I smiled and the Nightmare purred and nuzzled me. Then her siblings splashed us. Some of the water entered into my mouth making cough.

Toothless hissed and jumped into the water with me. _"You'll end killing her,"_ he said annoyed and Inferno hissed back, laughing and throwing water at him with her wings.

I covered myself with my arms. "C'mon, guys." Toothless growled and accepted the challenge, standing on his back legs and doing the same to completely cover the younger dragons with water and, unfortunately, me too.

"Toothless!" I laughed, wiping the water off my face and splashing him back. Bad idea. A war of water began and as always in this games with dragons, I was losing.

The game changed to who-can-hold-the-human-longer. I was standing on Inferno's back as she was swimming away from Toothless who was chasing us with his tongue out.

I laughed and stood on her raised head as Toothless tried to catch me when the third weird thing happened: we heard voices.

"Over here! I heard something!" I froze for a moment that was only interrupted when my foot slipped from Inferno's head making me fall into the water.

Toothless quickly snatched me out and swam to the edge where my clothes were. More voices were getting closer. I looked around and hid behind some rocks, holding onto them.

"You have to go," I told the dragons. Toothless grumbled, not liking the idea. "I'm gonna be fine! If they see you, you are not. Now go to the camp. I'll catch up with ya'."

Still grumbling, Toothless got out of the river and ran off, the Nightmares following in the air.

"It was from here," a man said, making me duck behind the rocks as an entire party of men followed behind, all holding weapons. As the men quickly gave a look at the air, the one who spoke spotted me and I felt the blood rushing to my face. "Oh!"

This is exactly why I didn't like to take baths outside.

"Ugh, sorry, miss," the man said, drawing the attention of the other men to me, though they couldn't care less and looked away, searching. Some of them looked at the sky, trying to catch a glimpse of a wing or tail.

"Well, hello there," a young man, about twenty-something, said with a grin. The first man slapped him on the arm, erasing his smile.

"Sorry, miss," the man said again, "but- didn't you happen to see-" he cut himself with a very pissed off expression, and without even looking at the younger man, he took his head and turned him back. The young man huffed and walked away.

"Didn't you see a flock of Monstrous Nightmares?" I nodded and pointed to the other direction they had taken. Another man, seeing this, began to shout orders and they ran off.

"Thank you, miss," the man nodded and added hesitantly, "do you- do you want me to pass you your..." he said pointing to my clothes.

"Yes, please," I smiled awkwardly and extend a hand to take the clothes. The man apologized one more time before leaving.

I waited to make sure they were _way_ far from here before I pulled myself out of the water and quickly put my tunic on, even though I was still wet. I made a ball with the rest of my clothes, not bothering to put them on and walked away, pretty sure my face was still as red as a dragon's fire.

* * *

 

Toothless rushed to me when I arrived at the camp.

"I'm fine, bud," I said as he circled me, inspecting me up and down in search of injuries. The Nightmares came close too and looked at me worried. "Guys! I'm fine, really!" I said exasperated and changed into dry clothes.

The Nightmares quit looking at me but Toothless followed until he made sure I was completely safe and sound. After that and a very annoyed look from my part, Toothless climbed a tree and hung on a branch to sleep.

I took out my old sketchbook and sat on the grass to draw Toothless while I waited for my hair to dry. Inferno got curious and curled around me as she watched me draw. The dragon stood up and sat in front of me after I finished Toothless and stood very still.

I giggled at her behavior and began to draw. She was the first dragon that actually stood still while I drew them, though she would demand to see every once a while.

The rest of the day went on drawing, playing and insisting the two older Nightmares that they didn't have to bring us food. But they insisted back, at least until the "human and night-person duo" could fly again.

The dragons were rather interested in seeing us fly again and I had to admit it: I was too. That night we had flown like no other. Of course, we had been practicing every night so we no longer needed words to communicate; we just used our bodies.

But that night... it had been different.

When I try to recall other nights, I remember thinking where to move, how much so I didn't make us lose balance. I remember noticing Toothless' movements under me.

That night wasn't like that. I don't remember thinking of my actions- I just did it, I just _knew_. Maybe that's what Toothless meant when he said they don't need to know how to do things, they just do it.

Before, I couldn't image how that could be possible. For doing something you had to learn, you had to practice. And dragons don't have to practice. Of course, I did have to learn how to fly and I did practice. But now it came naturally.

So natural I felt like... like...

No. I was getting crazy.

Inferno got me out of my thoughts; nuzzling and purring around me. I laughed and scratched her scales. I felt an oily sensation on my fingers. It didn't feel like Toothless' saliva- maybe because this was another kind of dragon- or maybe it wasn't saliva after all.

"Is this saliva or sweat?" I asked Inferno. She tilted her head.

 _"Sweat?"_ she asked. It surprised me. It was the first word she had ever said to me.

"Yeah, you know uh..." How did I explain that to a _dragon_? "That your body... uh... puts it out?" This would be easier if the dragons' vocabulary was larger. This felt like talking to Snotlout.

It took me a couple of seconds to notice how stupid the thought had been- the "dragons' vocabulary" part at least. Simply a year ago, I would have thought it was crazy that someone could _talk_ to a dragon, and yet, here was I.

The nightmare seemed to understand and she nodded. "Who would say it. Dragons can sweat," I felt the weird slime on my fingers again. It had a green, almost transparent color. "Hold still."

I stood up and ran for an empty bottle. When I returned to Inferno, she was watching me very confused. "Don't move," I told her and began to try and collect the weird gel.

 _"What are you doing?"_ A long, tired growl sounded behind me as Inferno stepped apart and away from the bottle.

"Trying to collect this thing," I said, walking to the weirded-out Monstrous Nightmare who kept moving away.

_"Why?"_

"It can come in handy." I finally jumped to Inferno's back –that just freaked her out more- and quickly tried to fill the bottle. Suddenly, Inferno jumped, making me fall from her back. "Inferno, come on!" I raced after her again.

It took me good three hours to collect something in the bottle and I ended up covered down to my elbows with the weird slime.

"This is quite dangerous," I said, wiping my hands on my clothes. I gave a look at the bottle. It wasn't much and I had spent hours collecting it. I sighed and pulled the bottle closer to see exactly how much it was.

The smell was strong and made me dizzy. I shook my head, trying to somehow get it away, but it only made it worse.

_"Fuzzy?"_

I tried to focus my eyes on Toothless, but in my blurry vision, I could only see a blur of black that was getting strangely bigger and bigger until it consumed everything.

* * *

 

 _"She is waking up!"_ A dragon that I didn't quite recognize roared and someone else licked my face.

 _"Are you okay?"_ That was definitely Toothless. _"GET OFF!"_ His roar almost left me deaf and the licking stopped. _"Fuzzy?"_

Slowly, I opened my eyes. My head was still spinning and the light was too bright. I was surrounded by Toothless and all the Monstrous Nightmares.

"Yeah," I answered Toothless' question. He turned his face to Inferno with an angry glare. Inferno's face turned to one of it-wasn't-my-fault. "It's just… the smell was too strong," I said in Inferno's defense.

Toothless turned to me, still annoyed but trying to calm down. _"You are a human. It doesn't affect us as it does you. You could have gotten poisoned!"_

"I'm fine buddy!" The dizziness was almost out of my head. "I guess it was too concentrated," I shrugged and looked at the bottle still in my hand.

"I should write that down," I muttered.

 _"Why write it?"_ Toothless asked, still looking me up and down as if expecting to find a wound.

"It can come in handy," I simply said.

 _"Can you stop saying that!"_ Toothless growled bothered. Seeing as the Night Fury was about to throw another tantrum, the Monstrous Nightmares walked away.

"I forget things easily," I shrugged, "If I have everything wrote down, I can check it anytime I need."

_"And why would you need to check it?"_

"When the time comes, you'll thank me." I stood up, a bit clumsily, and searched through my things for the new notebook I had taken with me from Berk. Toothless' eyes were glued to my back and I could almost feel his disgust with the whole situation.

I sighed and sat again.

"Look," I said slowly. "Since I met you, I've been discovering new things about dragons. It has only been a few months and I have learned a lot of things that no one knows! And all this," I said gesturing to the family of Nightmares that were now playing, "will die with me. If I write this down, someone may find it after I die and see that you are good. And maybe that someone will be brave enough to face everyone else and show them."

Toothless huffed, not completely convinced. But he sat at my side and let me do my thing.

I began to draw and write everything I knew. The dragon sizes, how to get close to the different species: it's easier to approach a Deadly Nadder from the tail, you simply had to smooth down their spines (of course if you don't get impaled first), most Gronckles have a kind nature once you show them you can be trusted.

Dragons _love_ fire. To see it or even to rest upon a recently scorched place. Timberjacks can learn to make campfires, you just need to show them how a few times.

They bury eggs on coal to keep them warm and constantly breathe fire onto the eggs. Toothless said that there were other ways to keep them hot, but since I haven't seen them and his explanations weren't the best, I didn't write it down.

"CAUTION: the eggs explode when they hatch." With that note, I wrote that the worst were the Gronckles. It wasn't a good idea to stay close to one of those. And if you hear a crack from any egg, you better find a place to hide.

* * *

 

"Toothless, wake up!" I shouted as I ran into our camp, the new mechanism under my arm. Toothless' ears perked up and his sleepy eyes turned to me. I held up the mechanism for Toothless to see and he quickly jumped to his feet, almost tackling me.

"Okay, okay. Settle down." He sat on his haunches and waited as patiently as he could for me to put the saddle on.

Toothless' excitement woke up the sleeping Monstrous Nightmares and spread the feeling. I smiled up at Toothless and he gave me a gummy smile back.

"Let's go, Bud," I said and jumped to his back. I patted his neck. "Let's take it nice and slow," I said as a joke for our first flight. Toothless seemed to get it because the way he took off wasn't in any way "nice and slow".

"AhhhHAHA! Woooohoooo!" I didn't care if we were close to a village. I didn't care if someone could see us or hear me. I had to wait for what felt like weeks for this, even when it had only been a couple of days.

Soon, we began to do tricks on the air - twisting and going upside down. Most of the time I didn't know what I was doing, but I followed Toothless' body without a problem.

The younger Monstrous Nightmares joined us in the air, flying around us and challenging us to a chasing game.

The older Nightmares joined in the middle of the game and we raced each other in the sky, playing something like tag. But this one was more dangerous. It wasn't the friendly push to the other. It was a tackle.

Inferno won.

My excuse: the game was way too rude and I almost fell off the saddle seven times. And to be honest, the excitement of being on the air again didn't let us think right or move in time. I'm not trying to put up excuses, I'm just telling the truth. If it had been other day in any other situation, we would have totally won this game.

We didn't land again. The Nightmares turned to us and called for their offsprings. They gave a very loud roar of, _"Thank you,"_ to which Toothless responded with an equally loud one from both of us.

"Thank you for everything," I told them. "I hope we see each other again."

Inferno growled and looked at me with sad eyes. This was a goodbye. "I'll miss you," I told her.

They turned away and so did we.

I patted Toothless neck. "Okay, boy. Show me what you got." I stuck my body to the saddle and we flew away as fast as we could.

* * *

 

It took me a couple of hours to realize that all my belongings were somewhere in the forest, in our old camp.

Toothless and I had to turn back for them. By the time we were on track again we were hungry. We kept flying trying to find a source of water; we were too into mainland and any coast was in sight.

After a few hours, we found a lake surrounded by a Viking village. I sighed and changed pedals to land, "So, no fishing then." I said as we went down to the forest, "You'll have to hunt, buddy. Ow!" he slapped me with his ear, "What was that for?"

"It was an accident," he growled. It clearly hadn't been an accident.

"You do eat more than just fish, right?" I asked him, rubbing my cheek as we landed.

"Yes, but I rather fish." He said laying down. "why don't you go to the human nest and get some?" he asked with a yawn.

I kneeled and untied the fish basket from the saddle, "Being feed for months hadn't done any good to you."

"Moons? Do not exaggerate."

"Uh, it was at least a month on Berk. We spent most part of winter on that nest and the last month close to the village. I've been bringing you food for a long time."

Toothless thought for a moment, "that doesn't change the fact that I want fishy." He decided and shifted to take a nap.

I sighed and stood up, "Useless reptile," I muttered.

"Stupid mammal," I could hear Toothless say.

So, with a lazy dragon and a rumbling stomach, I walked to the village to buy some food. I quickly found the market and asked them to fill the small basket I owned. After having Toothless' "fishy" I walked around buying other food there and there.

Some fruit, meat, bread, and even cheese. I quickly realized how fast my money bag emptied. Weeks of work were gone in one day.

"I'm telling you, she can control the dragon, a Night Fury!" a young, skinny, tall man at my side said. I froze, I needed to go.

"No one had ever seen a Night Fury and survived," a man some years older than the first one but shorter said, he sounded kind of bored and tired. I looked at the old woman that was attending me as she put the almonds in a small bag. She was taking too long, I _needed_ to _go_!

"She did! And it's under her control." The first one said, "I'm telling you. She can do it with other dragons too."

"That's impossible."

"I'm telling you! My cousin was there, she used a torch to hypnotize it and talked to it to control it, the Monstrous Nightmare didn't attack her." Nervously I put the hood of the cloak up.

"Well, _I'm telling you_ ," the man said mockingly, "that's ridiculous, a wee lass can't do that!"

"I'm telling you!" the young man insisted, "she returned with her Night Fury and freed another dragon, it didn't attack her either."

"And how exactly did she pass unnoticed in the village?"

"That town has a lot of people and lot of kids get in there, especially in winters. One of the blacksmiths says she worked for him. But… no one seemed remember her name."

No one remembers? They… they didn't give me away? I relaxed a bit, they knew about me, but they didn't know who I was or how I looked like.

"The lass comes from the Barbaric Archipelago," the owner of the next stand said, "Didn't you hear? She is a _traitor._ She left her tribe for the damned dragon." I swallowed, feeling uncomfortable again.

"I'm telling you, that girl is crazy."

"You bet, she was born in the heart of the war and she chooses a dragon."

I stopped hearing after that. The old lady handed me the bag and I gave her the money, quickly walking away.

How did they know?

About what I did on Berk, about what I did on the other village. Maybe we weren't as far from the other village as I thought. Without noticing I arrived where Toothless was.

Toothless sniffed the air, walking up and turning his sleepy eyes to me. The dizziness quickly flew away when he saw me.

"We have to go," I said and tied the basket to his saddle.

" _What happened?"_ he asked worriedly.

"Nothing it's just… we aren't as far from the other village as I would like to." I jumped to his back, "people have heard of us here, it's better if we stay away."

We flew to the mountains, soon we spotted dragons, coming and going all over the place. It couldn't be a nest; it would be too big. All the line of mountains as far as I could see had dragons flying over it.

I smiled as we made our way down. I couldn't believe I was more comfortable and felt safer being surrounded by dragons than with my own species. Maybe I _was_ crazy.

But I couldn't care less right now. I felt safe, we _were_ safe. And that was what matter. And even more important: we could finally eat.

The mountain range was the household of many dragons. It wasn't a nest, just a big place where they were safe. The mountains were too dangerous to climb and even more with dragons flying around.

And Toothless and I couldn't feel more comfortable there. Every day we advanced across the mountains, meeting new dragons and learning new things. Toothless wasn't very open to the new dragons and was a bit nervous when I played with others, afraid that I would get hurt, but they seemed to know they shouldn't play too rude. Still, I got some bruises from it.

Toothless let me play and wander around, writing and drawing the dragons. There were Nadders, Gronckles, Timberjacks, Nightmares, Terrible Terrors, that weird white-skulled dragon that I needed to find a name for. And once we even saw a Thunderdrum.

They were all different colors and sizes, their ages going from hatchlings, babies and what Toothless had explained to be called, short-wing and boar-wing; basically "teens" and "adults". And it turned out dragons didn't mark their ages with years; hatchlings were newborn dragons, they were called like that for a few days, then they were tiny-tooth.

Tiny-tooth dragons cover the first few months that is when they grow up the most and very fast; they are able to glide and somewhat fly. When they can fly correctly and control their fire they are called short-wing. The boar-wing were the ones that had a "mark". Toothless said it was different to every species, some get extra frills, some horns got larger or their frills wider.

In a few days, the new notebook was half filled with information and I couldn't be more excited and proud of myself. Some of the information was simple things and some didn't really matter but this was new information, things no other human knew and that was enough to make me happy.

And Toothless was getting fonder to the idea of me drawing and writing, maybe because he noticed it made me happy. One day he even was willing to "help" and began to draw on the ground with a long branch. Soon the other dragons began to take branches, roots, and even saplings to draw too.

In no time, the small piece of forest outside the caverns we were in, was filled with scribbles. One going over the others making a big mess without form and I was trapped inside along with other dragons there and there.

" _Dance!"_ Toothless roared happily.

"Dance?" I asked him confused.

" _Yes, like when we meet!"_

I laughed, "that wasn't dancing, buddy,"

" _I don't care, do it!"_ He growled, excited. I looked around, searching a way out. Slowly, I began to walk across the drawings, careful to don't step on any line, which was more difficult than that day with just Toothless. There were too many lines and all together barely let me places to put my feet.

A bit clumsy -not really knowing if I really was getting out of the mess or getting deeper into the scribbles- I walked around, my arms lifted a bit to let me see better the floor.

I found a rhythm on the way I was moving and got carried away, moving quicker with smooth steps and circles. And like the day I meet Toothless I began to sing, that same melody I have grown so fond of.

Toothless joined in my "dancing" and jumped around me, avoiding the lines too. I laughed as more dragons joined, some of them cooed trying to imitate the notes. Terrible Terrors flew around and bigger dragons jumped around, some not carrying on stepping on lines.

I thought for a small moment, then sang: "Let the wind carry us, to the clouds, hurry up, alright" Toothless stopped and looked at me, tilting his head. I stopped circling too and looked at him, "we can travel so far as our eyes can see," the other dragons quiet down listening carefully to the new tune the song had taken.

"We go where no one goes," I sang with a growing smile, Toothless' ears lifted, liking the song and he jumped around me again, "we slow for no one, get out of our way!" I tried not to laugh as I kept dancing around on the drawings, singing a melody while trying to come with another part of the song.

"I'm awake when up in the skies. There's no brake up so high, alright," I sang after a moment.

" _Let's make it our own, let's savor it!"_ Toothless sang in a coon, making me burst out a laugh.

"We go where no one goes!"

" _We slow for no one!"_

"Get out of our way!" we finished together, almost in a scream. Half laughing half singing I kept dancing with Toothless, completely forgetting the lines under us until I tripped over my own foot, a gentle reminder that I had two left feet and that I suck at dancing.

I fell over my but, still laughing; Toothless bit my clothes and pulled me up. I couldn't stop laughing to keep singing after it, and with no music, the dragons slowly returned to their business.

"I guess that's all for today," I said between giggles, "man, I didn't know dragons liked songs."

" _Our songs are different that yours but we do,"_

"Different how?" I asked.

" _They are more feelings than melodies and words,"_ he explained, his face went a bit grim for half a second, then he purred and nuzzled me, _"I like yours more."_

I rubbed his head and looked up at the sky. The sun was getting close to the horizon and it had been a while since I had a full night of sleep, we were always flying.

"Let's search a place to sleep," I told Toothless. We walked inside the caverns going around the nests, Toothless was sniffing everywhere to make sure we didn't choose an already occupied spot.

Distracted by the colors of the sky, that could be seen through some holes on the walls, I walked away from Toothless using boulders to climb up to a hole in the wall that lead to a small cliff.

I sat down, letting my legs hanging off. I looked at the sky as it turned to a beautiful pink… it was a beautiful view. I have always loved sunsets but no matter where we traveled none seemed to reach the beauty of Berk's.

Toothless walked to my side and sat down, his tail curling around me and hanging with my legs. We looked at the sky and the thick forest that awaited us.

"Why didn't you attacked me?" I suddenly asked. The question left my lips the second I thought it, taking Toothless off guard. "When we meet, I mean," the question had been bugging me since it happened and now I finally had the chance to know but I never asked.

" _You freed me,"_ he said as if it was obvious, _"a life for a life,"_ I remained in silence, wanting to ask about the cove but –as the other dragons- too many questions bothered him, maybe tomorrow. Dragons don't like to talk much, it had been something important I had learned, especially these last weeks. I couldn't do too many questions or they will get irritated.

After a moment of silence, the Night Fury sighed in resignation. I smiled and crossed my legs turning to him, ready to hear his explication. _"We, night-people, are taught to ignore humans: if they approach, you leave. It's an easy rule to remember and that's what I did… or what I mean to, then I realized I couldn't fly,"_ he said lifting his tail to look at the prosthetic.

" _You frustrated me,"_ he said and looked at me slightly annoyed, _"no matter what I did, no matter how much I ignored you and tried to get away you were still there!"_ the dragon fell in silence, frowning at the ground. Then he admitted, _"I got curious… why didn't you kill me? Why don't you go away? Humans attack fire-people, humans run away when we threaten them, but you… you wanted to get close."_

" _I got to the conclusion that you are not like your kind, you are different,"_ he said softly, looking away to the sunset, _"I guess I'm too."_

"So any other Night Fury would just keep ignoring me?" I asked after a short while.

" _Yup… well, if you kept showing as you did I think any other would have killed you,"_ he said as it was nothing.

"Huh…" I said, slightly horrified. I blinked and rather to focus on the sunset and not what a truly angry Night Fury would look like. I hugged my knees and rested my chin on them, looking how the sun got lost on the horizon and the stars started to show. "How many Night Furies are on your birth-nest?" I asked suddenly nervous of the promise of going there.

" _A lot,"_ Toothless' answer wasn't so reassuring.

"Are there any other nests with Night Furies?" I asked slowly.

" _Not that I know… I think there was one northern than the fog-circle but I'm not sure, I haven't gone further,"_ he said and sighed sadly, letting his head lay on his paws, _"there's… there is not a lot of our species, we are dying. Actually, we are not supposed to leave our nest because if we die we are just killing our own. What I did was selfish."_

I tried to change the subject, making another question seeing Toothless was up to answering, "How much have you seen of Midgard?"

" _More than you,"_ the dragon chuckled then thought for a second, _"I'm not sure,"_ he said slowly, _"the world is pretty big."_

I looked at the sunset one more time, a bit anxious at the idea but I said it out loud anyways, "We can go see your nest," I suggested looking at him.

Toothless growled, _"I have already seen my nest, it's nothing spectacular, there are better places to see."_

"You want to go somewhere else?" I said liking more that idea.

" _There was a place to the west, in another island where sometimes blue-little-fires appear. I once saw one. They like to play."_

We fell in a comfortable silence. I rested back on Toothless' body and looked up at the stars. And as I looked at the shiny dots I felt so small. _The world is pretty big_ and we have seen nothing of it.

A small smile slowly grew on my lips. We will see it all, every island and every dragon. After all, we go where no one goes.

* * *

 

Time was passing faster than I thought. Spring hit and the weather began to get warmer, flowers began to bloom and fill the view with different colors. Toothless and I flew more flow, sometimes I didn't even think when changing pedals and now we made tricks as we go, twisting and diving and going as far up as we could just to let us fall.

When there was a water source with no village close we would go fishing, sometimes other dragons joined us. Toothless had begun to hunt for the times where we couldn't find any near water source or a Viking town. I had forced myself to remember the little I knew of skinning, sometimes Toothless hunt deer, foxes, wolfs, bears, elks –or at least that's what I thought they were- and I sold their skins on markets.

The day was just beginning and the only reason I was up was because I didn't sleep at all. Still, I was widely awake. Something just the wind and the excitement of being on the air could do.

I walked through a town, looking around and quickly finding where to sell the furs. I didn't waste much time on selling them, I didn't have much today, and the money I received was less than one would normally do with a day of work.

I had to hold myself to ask for a job in every town we went to. Having a job would mean we would have to stay for a while and I wanted to keep moving for two main reasons: one, I didn't want anyone to know about me and two, I wanted to explore and know new places.

We had left the beaches of Norway behind us and moved to explore Sweden's beauty. To a place where no one had heard of the _Dragon Conqueror_.

I shook my head to get the thoughts out and put attention to the last deal I was doing. Getting just six copper coins, I opened my money bag to see at the small bunch of copper coins and the four silver ones and with a sigh I put the money inside.

I took an apple from the following stand and looked at it longingly, it had been a long time since I last ate a fresh fruit but even an apple was a luxury now. I looked away with an annoyed grimace and walked away, on Berk I never had this kind of problems.

"Hey!" a man shouted behind me, "where do you think you are going with tha'?" he asked pointing to my hand, I followed his finger and saw I was still holding the apple.

"Oh! Sorry," I said walking back at the stand and putting back the fruit with the others, "I didn't- ouch!" the brunet man had grasped my wrist with more force than necessary and yanked me forward.

"We don't tolerate thieves here," he hissed trough his mustache, "do ye know what happens to thieves?" he asked, pulling out a long knife. I swallowed, looking between my hand and the knife.

"I-I'm no thief, it was just a misunderstanding," I stammered, twisting my hand to get off but his grip just got harder. "I h-have money!" I shouted terrified as the man played with the knife, "I can pay it to you!"

The man raised the knife; I almost didn't think about it: I pulled out my own knife and quickly made a cut on his forearm before he could do something. With a yell he let me go to grasp his injured limb.

Without him holding me I fell back, knife still in hand. I looked around, we had called some's attention before but now everyone was looking at us. All eyes turned to me, my heart was all I could hear as it slammed against my ribcage. _Run._ A small, hurried voice yelled inside me and I didn't hesitate to follow.

I scrambled to my feet and broke in a run. Vikings were yelling behind me, I didn't dare to look over my shoulder, I knew they were following me. I ran into the forest, jumping roots and avoiding trees, trying to figure out where I was and where Toothless was.

But the men knew this woods and I didn't, they quickly caught up, getting on my way as I tried to take left. I yelped, trying to get to a stop to don't slam against the man, my feet slipped but I quickly recovered, racing to the opposite direction.

I didn't know where I was or where I was going but I didn't stop even when my body began to remember me that I hadn't slept, eaten or rest in a _long_ while. The ground began to lean up, making it more difficult to run through and I heard the men getting closer. I had to stop running as a cliff got on my view, I almost didn't make it ending on just the edge.

I almost couldn't breathe and my knees threatened to give up. I looked back, catching the glimpse of helmets and heads. _Please don't fail me now._ I cupped my hands around my mouth and let out a dragon-like roar from the bottom of my throat. Letting it feeling raspy and sore.

"There she is!" someone yelled and with a tired groan, I ran once again, following the edge of the cliff.

The Vikings following me spread up, surrounding me from my right and behind me, cornering me against the cliff, I looked down worriedly. Suddenly, a black mass jumped from the bushes and I could help but let out a relieved sigh as Toothless ran bellow.

He looked up to me and to the men a few steps behind. _"Jump!"_ he roared. I looked down to him, the ground was getting even higher than it was before, I swallowed and looked over my shoulder, a blonde short-haired man was just behind me, sword at ready.

Without thinking it anymore I leaned left and leaped off. I realized too late that Toothless had been left behind and I let out a terrified scream as I fell. Toothless speeded up and jumped, flapping his wings a couple of times but he was too low and too far.

We weren't gonna make it… or so I thought.

My body slammed against his back and I hanged to whatever part of the saddle I could so I wouldn't fall off. I took the handles and pulled me to a sitting position, putting my feet in their rightful place and changing pedals to fly off before we even touched the ground.

I heard the Viking men gasping in horror and cursing as we rushed straight up, following the cliff's wall, the air almost taking them down.

"By Thor!"

"What is that?"

"She turned into a _dragon_!"

I chuckled, changing pedals again and flying away from human civilization, I patted Toothless' neck, "perfect timing!" I congratulated him but he looked at me annoyed, "What?"

" _Do you always have to get in trouble?"_

"Hey, it comes with the Being-Hiccup combo," I said and poked the back of his head playfully, "and now you are stuck with it so you better get used to that."

Toothless rolled his eyes but then twisted his head to look at me, " _did they hurt you?"_ he asked worriedly.

"Almost," I admitted and sighed, scratching where the man's hand had been, "I think it's better if we stay away from Vikings for a while again."

" _Did they know_?"

"No, but they do now…" I patted his neck, "it's better off this way, let's just find a place to rest, I could really use a nap," I finished with a yawn.

We changed direction returning to the low parts of the mountains, reaching a holey slope that instantly connected to the inner chambers. Dragons were flying around, landing and taking off. But as we landed I noticed there was something odd about it, the dragons weren't playing around and there wasn't the curious welcome we usually get. I frowned confused and followed Toothless as he searched for a place to nap.

Slowly, I stopped walking at the sight of a dragon laying alone, no other dragon got close making a large circle around it. It was one of those white-skulled dragons and it didn't look so well, it looked sick.

" _Fuzzy?"_ Toothless asked when he realized I wasn't on his side anymore and returned with me.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked, my eyes glued to the dragon and the concern clearly on my voice. I looked at Toothless after he didn't respond me and saw the same concern in his eyes.

" _He gave up,"_ Toothless said lowly, _"sometimes when you lose something or someone important you stop caring, they don't eat, don't fly. Their wings get weak and that just makes it worse because even if they wanted to fly they can't do it anymore."_

I looked at the dragon again, more worried than before. _"Let's go"_ Toothless said and began to walk away. I hesitated for a moment then stepped forward. _"Fuzzy!"_ Toothless hissed alarmed, _"leave him alone!"_

The white-skulled dragon barely looked at me as I made my way to him. Other dragons stopped on their tracks and growled lowly, telling me to let him alone. But, as Toothless' warnings, I didn't listen. I knelt at his side and caressed the smooth white scales of its head with soft strokes.

I finally got the attention of the dragon and as it looked at me I could feel the immense sorrow of the dragon. My chest felt heavy and it got hard to breathe, an invisible, cold hand clenched my heart tighter and tighter as I kept eye contact. My eyes began to well up with tears, the feeling just too overwhelming to keep it inside but I refused to get my hand off the dragon.

"I'm sorry," I whispered with a broken voice. And through the own sorrow of the dragon, he looked at me confused. _You don't have to apology for everything,_ I remembered Toothless saying. "I know it's not my fault, but no one should feel this way," I said, still in a low broken voice.

The red and white dragon gave a small whine and looked away. I stayed by his side, I couldn't just leave him here, not feeling like this. I kept caressing his head trying to think on something, then I remember: dragons loved songs.

I began to hum, my voice a bit broken and hoarse but in a few seconds it turned to its normal tone. The dragon purred for half a second and it gave me the hopes I needed and began to sing, "Let the wind carry us, to the clouds hurry up…" the dragon looked at me for a moment, curiosity in his eyes but then looked away again burying my hopes deep down.

My heart broke and I looked over my shoulder, searching for Toothless' help. The black Night Fury was sitting at the edge of the circle along with other dragons, looking curiously but giving us space. But there was something else in Toothless' eyes as he looked at me and at the dragon at my side, he locked eyes with me and nodded encouragingly, gesturing me to continue.

I turned to the dragon, my hand still on his head and sang again, "we can travel so far as our eyes can see. We go where no one goes, we slow for no one…" I got no response but kept trying, "I'm awake when up in the skies. There's no brake up so high, alright. Let's make it our own let's savor it."

The dragon reacted this time, his attention fully on me. I took his head and stood up with it, "we go where no one goes," I walked backwards lightly pulling his head and he stood up and followed, a smile crossed my face, "we slow for no one, get out of our way!"

I kept humming and guiding the dragon outside, his eyes wide open and fixed on me the other dragons followed and took off as soon as we were on the opening. I walked away from the dragon and jumped on Toothless' back.

We took off too and stood stationary outside the cave. The red and white dragon looked up, to us and to the sky, then looked at his wings. "Oh no," I muttered as the dragon hesitated.

My heart dropped: he turned around.

"No, no, no. Come on, you can do it!"

The dragon turned again, was he… going in circles? He opened his jaws, making crackling fire, his wings flapped and he went faster, the circles wider making him a blur of sparkles that jumped everywhere.

"Holy-" I pulled from Toothless' saddle, flying back and away from the fire that had reach us. The dragon took off, still in circles and then he shot straight to the sky. "Yeah!" I laughed as he almost took us over. Toothless roared happily and quickly moved to follow.

I looked at the dragon as it twisted with ease on the air, his wingspan fully open. The way he took off… it was like a typhoon! And those turns like a boomerang! _Typhoomerang_. I thought, finally coming up with a name for the dragon.

" _I knew you could do it,"_ Toothless said proudly, taking me out of my thoughts.

"I didn't know I could," I admitted.

 _"If someone could do it, it was you. You already made_ me _fly,"_

"It was just the tail," I said like it was nothing but Toothless quickly interrupted.

 _"No, it wasn't,"_ he said and I could hear and feel some kind of desperation and anxiety on him, _"I thought I was going to die… I was ready to die, I was just waiting for hunger to kill me or a Viking to find me and do it, then you found me and I thought it all will be over but you freed me and help me fly again!"_

I couldn't talk. He _was_ ready to die when I first found him in the woods, he _had_ given up. I still could remember how afraid he looked, how he turned his head away in defeat.

I looked up at the Typhoomerang as he circled above us surrounded by his nest-mates chirping happy because he was up in the air again. And a small smile appeared on my lips.

" _What you are doing is not just helping around, Fuzzy, you are giving us hope,"_ Toothless said looking up too, _"You are the first human we ever meet that doesn't attack us and kill without reason. And… I know you are worried you are not like the other Vikings but… you are better than them."_

I patted his head, leaning to a side to look at him, "Thanks, buddy."

* * *

 

Mud splashed all over, it had gotten hard to run but I didn't stop anyways, sword still on hand. I heard a loud roar behind me that told the short time Toothless had given me to run was over and now he was chasing me.

It had rain the past few days but that hadn't stopped us from flying and playing fights. So, with mud till my knees, I ran through the forest not really knowing where I was or where I was going but it surely was away from Toothless.

The Night Fury snarled loudly, obviously getting closer, he wasn't even trying to be quite. I prepared myself, hand gripping on the sword. The dragon roared just behind me and a cold shiver ran through my spine. Even knowing he wouldn't hurt me hearing _that_ chasing you would horrify anyone.

I turned around, knowing Toothless had already pounce and swung my sword as I crouched. The dragon passed over me, the sword barely touching his exposed belly. I had wrapped the sword on old scraps of leather that I got on a village so I wouldn't actually hurt Toothless.

About him hurting _me_ , I knew it wouldn't happen. He knew how much force he could use for my bones to don't brake and how much he could claw without tearing my skin.

The black dragon landed, his paw slipping on the mud and falling. I didn't laugh, yesterday Toothless taught me the hard way that, if I laughed, I got distracted and lose easier. Instead, I ran away before Toothless stood up.

I slipped more than once but I quickly recovered, looking over my shoulder I saw Toothless running a few meters behind me at the same speed I was, he narrowed his eyes and went faster. I looked forward again and pushed myself to speed up.

Toothless growled and I tightened my grip again, waiting for his next move. The ground underneath me cracked and a huge amount of rocks, mud, and trees slipped through the mountain slope.

"Toothless!" I yelled as I fell and slid with the ground, Toothless roared frightened. I tried to anchor with my heels, or grasp to something but everything around me was falling too and picking up speed with every second.

I looked up, Toothless was still on firm ground. He looked at me, terrified and shocked. He blinked, shook his head and jumped. Clumsily, growling and hissing he began to make his way to me. I looked at my feet again and tried to find some support again realizing horrified that we were getting closer to a cliff where everything was falling off.

"Uh, Toothless?" I said, voice filled with fear as I got closer and closer to the edge. Suddenly there was a sharp, agonizing pain on my right shoulder and I let out a pained scream.

Toothless whimpered at my side and I realized what was the source of the pain: Toothless was biting my shoulder. I was hanging from the cliff; things were still falling at my sides but the dragon had somehow found a firm place to stand.

The dragon hesitated, opening his jaws a bit. "No! don't let go, _don't let go_!" I yelled, even when the pain was so unbearable it blacked out my vision. I tried –more for Toothless' sake than mine- to don't scream but groans and whimpers still left my lips.

I kicked the air, trying to step on something and my hands reached up to hold on Toothless so my shoulder wasn't the only thing carrying my weight. Toothless pulled me up to safe ground, tears sliding from my eyes. The dragon released me and quickly bit the back of my clothes and threw me to his back making his way to the top of the hill.

My left hand gripped my shoulder, trying to somehow ease the pain. I didn't look up, crouched against the saddle as Toothless got us out of there and to a safe place. As soon as he stopped running I flopped to the ground. Unfortunately, I fell on my right side, the hit sending a wave of pain all over my body and this time I couldn't contain the scream.

I didn't dare to look at the wound, that would just make the pain worse but Toothless got to my field of vision, covered in mud and mouth dripping blood and then I knew it was _bad_.

" _You are hurt,"_ he said, his worried voice breaking _, "I-I didn't mean to hurt you I just-"_

"It's okay, bud. It's just a scratch," I said with a high pitched voice. It wasn't a scratch, and I needed to nurse it but I just _couldn't look_. I took a deep breath and removed my hand from the wound and looked at it.

_Oh, gods…_

This time I couldn't hold the scream, though it came out faltering and I had to put back my hand on my shoulder. The pain got stronger and I groaned breathlessly, looking up at the cloudy sky just so I didn't have to look at the wound.

From my collarbone to my armpit and my arm was a deep dotted line where the teeth of the Night Fury had been, and I knew it was the same from behind. Even through the pain, it amazed me how easily he had done such a deep cut but I could check on that later, right now I _had_ to heal this.

" _Can you fix it?"_ Toothless asked, looking worriedly at my shoulder and at my reaction.

"I may need to go to a village for help," I admitted, I could barely bare to look at it, I couldn't do this by myself. It wasn't for how bad it looked, I had help Gothi nurse some nasty wounds back on Berk, I even had helped to amputate some limbs a couple of times but it was on someone else, I wasn't the one feeling the pain.

I somehow managed to sit up, "You have some sharp teeth buddy," I said breathlessly, holding back tears I looked at Toothless, trying to smile and show his it wasn't that bad, even when it was. But my try of a smile fell at the sight of Toothless' worried face.

" _I- I really didn't-" he_ stammered.

"Hey, buddy it's okay,"

" _No, it's not okay! You are bleeding! I bit you!"_

"Yeah but it you hadn't done that I would have fallen!" I yelled moving my shoulders and hurting myself more. "Let's just… focus on finding a village," I said between groans.

Toothless helped me to knees and he laid on the ground so it would be easier to me to slip on the saddle. It didn't take us long to find a small town at the edge of the river and Toothless landed as close as we dared to go.

I got off the saddle grunting and walked to the Village after telling Toothless to stay hidden. I clenched my shoulder, my feet moved clumsy and my vision was blurry, maybe for the pain, the loss of blood or because Toothless' teeth were poisonous. I hoped it wasn't the last one.

Someone gasped making me look up, somehow I had made it to the village, a woman was covering her mouth horrified and had called the attention of other Vikings around.

I tried to slip out a small "Help" but the only sound that left my lips was a whine that I had to shut up with gritted teeth.

"Warn the healers!" A man yelled and ran to my side, "By Thor…" he gasped as he looked at the bloody mess that was my shoulder. He put a hand on the back of my shoulder, where I couldn't reach and blood was dripping out, I hissed in pain and my knees couldn't carry with my weight anymore. I would have fallen if the man hadn't held me, "I'm going to carry you, aye?" he said softly.

I looked up to nod but as I looked at the men's face another kind of pain hit me square in the chest. He had green eyes topped with thick red brows, his red hair tied back in a braid, his beard was short but held a few tiny braids… he painfully looked like my father.

One of his hands slipped under my knees and he lift me softly. I closed my eyes but to shut the pain away and to stop looking at the man. It may had been just my blurry vision but I could _swear_ he looked just like my father.

From his eyes, his nose and mustache to the kind and soft voice he talked when I was hurt. My eyes closed harder as I told myself to _don't think about that._ A door opened and I was put down on what I think was a bed.

"Oh, gods! What happened to you, child?" a woman asked looking at my wound.

"Dragon," I said with a feeble voice as the woman opened my collar and pulled the tunic over my shoulder. I didn't dare to look and rather turn away.

"Here," the man said softly handing me a bottle, "will make the pain duller," I didn't dare to look at him either, not wanting to know if he actually looked like my father or if it had been just my mind playing tricks.

I took the bottle and gave a long drink, "No, not all of it!" the woman said snapping the bottle off my hand, "why did you give this to her? She is too young for it!" the woman said as I began to get dizzier. My vision blurrier than before, just letting me see a blur of colors in front of me, I blinked a few times trying to get out shapes of things but to no avail.

But the man was right, my shoulder felt numb and if the pain was still there I couldn't quite catch it. I giggled as the colors began to make weird shapes, my shoulders shaking.

"See what you did?" the woman said though her voice sounded like coming from under water, she told the man to leave before he had another great idea and called another woman to help her.

They were talking and making questions but I didn't know if those were to me or between them, my drunken and blood-drained brain could just make out a few words.

 _Bite. Shape. Size. Kind. Dragon. Not seen. Don't know. Too deep._ And they mentioned some dragon species… were they trying to know what bit me?

"Night Fury…" I managed to mumble out. Both women went silence then the first woman sighed annoyed.

"You too?" she said.

"What?" I said confused and the woman continued to rant about something.

"Lot of people… searching… dragon… girl… close to the nest… crazy… getting hurt…" those were some of the words I could make out as she put white things over my shoulder and put out red ones, then she took a shiny little thing. I looked at my shoulder as she worked on it, I think she was stitching the wound.

I looked away again, lost in the colors as they slowly began to take forms. The ceiling, a crossbeam... another crossbeam, some columns, and the walls. The infirmary was as big as Berk's, there were eight beds, one in front of the other in two columns, the headboards against the walls.

But as the place began to get clearer the pain did too and I hissed as the needle poked my skin.

"Someone is getting back to reality," the young voice of the second woman said quite cheery, she was going to say something else but the door slammed against the wall as someone kicked it open.

"Deadly Nadder!" A black haired man yelled and entered the room with a semi-unconscious boy hanging from his side. People I didn't know were inside the room ran to his assistance.

"I'll take care of her," the young woman said softly taking the needle from the others hand. The older woman changed her attention to the bed with the boy.

"How many shots did he get?" she quickly asked.

"Four," the man said breathlessly.

He was dead.

Or will be soon. I knew how poisonous Deadly Nadder's spikes could be. One, maybe two, were enough to cause temporal paralysis. Three can knock you out and let you unconscious a couple of weeks. Four you may be lucky to survive.

Of course, the place you had been impaled had a lot to do as did your size. That boy was a bit bigger than me, four spines? He won't make it.

A good half an hour or so later the healers proved me wrong because the boy was still alive and good, still unconscious but _alive_.

"How-how did you do that?" I stammered as the first woman walked to me to check on the bandages the other was putting on.

The woman looked at my shoulder then at me with soft tired eyes, she sighed, "If I teach you, you have to promise you won't search the Night Fury and the girl again," she said with a warning tone.

"Count on it!"

* * *

 

I returned to the forest at night, my shoulder was covered in bandages and a sling held my arm close to my body. It hurt horribly and sent jets of pain through my bones with every step I gave. The bushes rustled and the Night Fury jumped out fully camouflaged by the darkness, his eyes were the only thing that shined with the moon that had dared to go out tonight.

" _You okay?"_ he whined looking me up and down and circling me as he sniffed my shoulder, he hissed stepping away and sneezed shaking his head.

I couldn't help to laugh, "bless you," I said.

" _What did they put there?"_ he said as insulted.

"Herbs," I said, "they are supposed to make the pain go away but they are not helping a lot." I looked at my shoulder as if I could see the wound under the bandages and the tunic.

" _Sleep, it will help,"_ he said, slowly walking to me and sniffing again but for afar.

"How does sleeping would help?" I asked stupidly pocking the bandages and hissed as the pain cut trough.

" _Do not touch it!"_ Toothless growled and pushed my hand away with his snot, _"sleep helps fire-people, I don't know if it's the same with humans but it can help."_

I frowned, still confused. The dragon explained: _"when we are badly injured we ground ourselves, we find a safe place and we sleep. That way all your energy focuses on healing and not flying, hunting or even eating. When it's too bad be even enter in hibernation."_

I rose an eyebrow, when we are injured we often are told to rest, though it was more than nothing so we don't hurt ourselves more. I looked at my shoulder, "I wouldn't say I'm badly injured," I commented and Toothless stabbed me with his eyes.

"Okay, okay, I'll sleep," I promised raising a hand in defeat, "but we need to go, people know we are here."

I got on the saddle, still thinking of what that woman had said. It wasn't just that they knew about us, no, they were _searching_ for us. Taking the risk of getting close to a dragon nest just to see us, kill us or worse: _trap_ us.

My mind had been spinning with that information since I understood what it meant. Night Furies were weird dragons, killing one would be a great sight of bravery and Vikingness. And a person who could "control" dragons… man, it was the perfect weapon for war…

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY. Now with the things I wanted to say. I have next chapter ready but it's plot important so I have to check it VERY well before posting it, I don't want to make any mistakes but I'll try to have it updated soon (next week maybe).
> 
> Speaking of updates, I'm going to try and write a chapter per month, if not a chapter every two month. Friendly reminder that I'm on medical school and I don't have all the time of my live to write. That's exactly why I didn't have the time to write in a whole year.
> 
> Also! Something I'm very excited to tell you is that I'm making a comic for this fanfic! It's been a while since I wanted to do this and I began it already, the first 3 pages are up on my Deviant Art (link on my profile) they are just the intro but I'm very happy of how they turned out. I got a bit carried away with lighting and backgrounds, the chapters are going to be a bit simpler because I want to keep an updating schedule of 2/3 pages per month (I'm already a month behind but whatevs, I have a test next Friday and I have to study. So, no time for drawing)
> 
> Oh! And if you have the Amino app don't forget to join the H.T.T.Y.D. Amino, I'm somewhat active in there and I post a lot of Fem!Hiccup content, specially fanart (yeah, yeah. I make fanart of my own fanfiction. I just love gender bend AU's and I absolutely love mine)
> 
> A little last thing is that I'm NOT making this fanfic a Toothcup, simply because I don't ship them. All over the fanfic is gonna be mentioned how much they love and care for each other but it's all friendship. If you DO ship them then go on and keep shipping them, if you want to see that love as romantic love go on, I'm not going to stop you. But for the "canon" of this fanfic (and future Fem!Hiccup AUs I want to write) their love is a fraternal, platonic love. I hope you understand this.
> 
> And I think that's all for now, hope you enjoyed this, don't forget to follow, favorite and review! I love reviews! And if you got any saying my PM is always open (I'll answer you when I have the time)


	15. Rumors and Truth

The days passed, and as they did I grew stronger. Or at least, I _felt_ stronger. When I played with Toothless I really put on a fight, I still didn't get to win but I lasted longer.

I could walk inside a dragon's den with a confidence that I could never dream on having. I just wished it could be the same way when I walked inside a Viking village. That still made me a bit anxious, even more with the fact that people were searching for us, but I felt well if I had my sword, knowing I could defend myself if I had to.

The few towns I had visit after the last incident had heard about me, but they were just some stupid rumors of a girl who could turn into a dragon, some other people had already heard about the Dragon Conqueror and connected the dots, knowing it was the same girl.

But any of that matter, all of the rumors were wrong. Some said I could make them do my will, some that I did _their_ will. Sometimes –just for fun- I would say some ridiculous thing and there would be people who called me crazy but also some believed it.

My favorite one was when I said, "She drinks the dragon's blood. Every full moon she has to make a ritual to gain the Night Fury's strength." A man even swore he had seen me doing that. Some men even called me a witch.

I looked to the sky as I walked through a Village and took a beep breathe. _June_ , a man had said, it was June. A year ago, I was still on Berk, a year ago I was stubbornly decided to kill a dragon, to kill Toothless and show my Village I was worth something.

Now I couldn't give a damn about what they thought of me. The rumors had traveled all the Scandinavian peninsula and there was no way that they hadn't reach the Barbaric Archipelago.

But I didn't care anymore, let them think what they want. That I'm a failure of a Viking, that I should be ashamed for what I did, that I was crazy, that I was a traitor to all humankind.

I was happy where I was now, with Toothless and surrounded by other dragons that actually liked me for who I was. I could do whatever I wanted and there was no high expectative coming from anyone, no pressure that one day I would be chief.

Stoick probably had already found another heir, probably Snotlout. The boy had always been bothering me saying how he would be better chief than I would. Well, now he could live the nightmare of responsibilities that implies.

It had taken me long to stop focusing on all the bad things that came with being an outlaw and began to notice the good stuff. As the fact that I could walk through a Village without looks of pity and without any question being made. Aside the "you are not from here, are you?"

Most people didn't care that the answer was "no" as long as I had money or something good to trade.

My money bag made tinker bell noises as I walked and it made me smile. A couple of days ago Toothless had hunt a bear and barely any part of the skin was burned or mauled and I sold it in a very good price making my bag heavy.

Toothless had insisted that whole day I should waste it in getting proper human food, it didn't take him too long to convince me and today we found a town, close to a beach. That could only mean we had reach the bottom of Sweden.

I entered a small dinner in town, deciding to buy something to eat first before going to the market to buy supplies.

I sat at the front bar and asked the lady for a sandwich. A simple food but I really missed the taste of bread. I rested my elbows on the bar and swung my feet slightly, trying to control my overjoyed body.

"She is the Dragon Conqueror," a man assured behind me as the maiden returned with my food and I thanked her before giving a big bite.

"It can't be the same," another said.

"And you think there are two girls out there riding a Night Fury?" the first said.

"It could be possible,"

"Come on, man." A third one said, "Use your brain, it's the same!"

"Says the one that actually thinks she can turn into a dragon." The second man replied.

"There are people who saw her do it!" the last said and his desperate tone for the urge of the others believing him made me snort. The voices behind me stopped and I heard a chair slightly moving back.

"What? Something funny lass?" the first man said. I hesitated but turned on my stool after swallowing and gave them a teasing smirk.

"Yeah, the fact that you believe all those rumors," I said. It might had been a bad idea, they were way older than me and each one at least doubled my size. But they didn't intimidate me. Not a lot at least.

"They all sounds like something you would tell a kid to fall asleep," I shrugged and returned to my food.

"You aren't from around here, are you?" one of them said, it didn't sound like a question but I stopped chewing to answer anyways.

"No, I'm not."

"And what do you know?" another said annoyed. I shrugged and swallowed.

"More than you it seems," I said and gestured to the maiden to put the rest of the sandwich to the go, if I continued with this conversation I would need to go soon. I turned completely facing the men, resting my back on the front bar, "None of the rumors are true."

"And how are you so sure?"

"Because I have seen them." I said and almost instantly the three men busted out in laughs. I looked at them with a serious expression, waiting for them to calm down, what lasted a few minutes.

One of the man stared at me, "You are not laying," he said, realizing my seriousness and making the others settle down.

"I have seen them together, there is no control over any of them." Should I be saying this? "They get along, like…. friends." Probably not.

"That's impossible."

"We can tame certain animals, why not dragons? I think she found a way, maybe she knows something we don't."

One of the man nodded, "I've heard she knows the dragons' secrets… how to control them, and she had write a book with everything inside,"

I blinked twice. How could they know?

"A book?" I asked, leaning forward, "Where did you heard that?"

"Who would write a book with the most important secrets? That's stupid, what if someone stole it?"

I blushed a bit, "Yeah, it's stupid." I muttered.

"Well, that guy is sure of it," he said pointing over his shoulder, "And he is gathering a search party to the forest, someone had seen them land there."

Oh, crap.

"And where did he get that information?" I asked straightening up, "Have he seen her with the book?"

"I don't know,"

"Have he even seen her, or the Night Fury?"

"I don't think so."

I sighed and stood up, taking my food and saving it on my satchel. "Okay, I'm going." That made them laugh again.

"Lass, you can't go,"

"Who says that? I'm seventeen and I can do whatever I want," it was half a lie. I wasn't 17 but, yeah, I could do whatever I wanted now.

"Well, you need to ask him first," the man said gesturing over his shoulder with his head, "Good look on him letting you in, wee lass." I fulminated him with my eyes and walked to the guy.

The man's hair was dark brown under a horned helmet that just Vikings inside the Archipelago wear. He had shoulder plates with three big spikes on each, dragon tooth, I realized they were. He wore arm bands, with metal studs on the left one and with metal spikes on the right one.

His armor as the ones of his men and as most Vikings inside the Barbaric Archipelago was of thick leather in a scales-like positon. This couldn't be good.

"I heard you are going on a search party for the Dragon Conqueror," I stopped behind him and crossed my arms over my chest. The men I had been talking to had followed me, just to see how I got rejected and laughed a little.

I knew how ridiculous it must seem. Even when the guy was sitting at a large table with his men he was taller than me. And let's not speak about the width.

The scene caught the eye of almost the whole hall and the place went silent, every eye on me, making my courage disappear and letting me stand alone.

"Aye, why do ye want ta' know?" the men said in a thick Nordic accent that made me feel smaller.

I collected all the courage I had left and spoke, "I want to go."

Now the whole dinner laughed and though I was screaming inside I didn't let my body quiver. The brown-haired man stood up and turned, my eyes followed his head as it went up.

My eyes widened, a hint of fear crossing my face and I had to take a step back. The man was as tall as my fa- Stoick, he was as tall as Stoick. I swallowed, making the man grin under a thick beard.

"A wee lass?" he said almost laughing, my hands gripped my clothes, irritated with the 'wee lass' thing but it gave me the strength to stand straight again. "Why would I accept ya' inta my search party? I have plenty of my men with me 'n' good Vikings from this village, what have ye' worth?"

"I have seen it," I said without a flinch.

The man looked at me confused, "Seen what?"

"The Night Fury, I have seen it," I said making the whole hall laugh again.

"And yer still here?" The man chuckled, making everyone laugh even more.

Irritated with everyone's behavior I took the neck of my tunic and pulled it open to show the nasty scar Toothless' teeth had left. The laughs lowered and were replaced by murmurs.

"I got too close and it attacked me." I said looking straight to the man's grey blue eyes, "I want to pay them back." I let the man look at my shoulder then fixed my collar, felling way too exposed over so many men's eyes.

The dark-haired man gave me a onceover then asked, "What's yer name, lass?"

I panicked for a second. This man was from inside the Archipelago, everything pointed to that, but I had never seen him before. As the daughter of the chief I had seen all tribes of close islands. Berk had different accords with the tribes that had to be renew every once a few years so either they came to us or we went to them.

But this man…

"Nadia," I said almost immediately, it was the name of one of the girls I meet on the first town I found outside here. "Everyone call me Nad. What's yours?"

"Alvin the Treacherous," the man said evidently proud of his name. He extended his big hand, I looked at it a bit hesitantly and shook it, "Consider yourself part of the search party, Nad."

* * *

We waited until night to left to the forest. It wasn't long but in the mean time I had to make up a story of how the dragon attacked me and why I thought they didn't control each other. Also, why I didn't think the book existed.

And I had to get used to be called "Nad" which wasn't exactly easy.

The men prepared themselves, taking torches and fixing their weapons to their belts. After a few minutes, we left to the forest. Everyone was silent and nervous, I didn't know why Alvin waited until night to search for a Night Fury, we were on disadvantage now.

A bush moved making everyone turn and some yelp. I searched in the dark for Toothless but saw nothing, maybe it wasn't him. But then a deep growl echoed on the trees making me smile, it _was_ him.

"Why are you smiling?" a man a few years older than me asked nervously.

I looked at him, not hiding my smile. "They are here," I said trying not to laugh at the horror on the man's face.

We kept walking hearing the occasional growl that seemed to come from everywhere. I tried to focus and find Toothless, turning to where I thought the noise had come from. Gods, Toothless was going to be so ashamed of me for this.

It took me long to spot his green eyes, gleaming on the night for half a second before he hid again. I gave him a silent nod, hopping he was still there. The bushes where he had been hidden moved as he got away.

Everyone heard his steps as he raced behind us and growled one more time. He was doing it on propose. The dragon could be quite enough that not even I, that had been "playing" with him for months, could hear him.

I shook my head a little and rolled my eyes, letting the dragon have fun as I made my way to the top of the group to meet with Alvin.

"Hey, so how do you know about the book?" I asked him casually.

"That's not yer business," Alvin said. I had to jog to walk at his same speed.

"Come on, you haven't seen her, have you?" I asked, I had been very cautious about that, even more since I knew there were people searching for us. A few people _had_ seen us, but how could they figure out the whole book-thing?

I gestured to my shoulder, "This didn't happen more than a month ago, and I didn't see anything. She wasn't carrying any bag or satchel, it was just her and the dragon. How could you possibly-"

_BAM!_

Suddenly a plasma blast threw everyone to the ground, including me. The sound and the impact on the ground letting me dizzy. I rose a bit over my chest and shook my head to get the dizziness away.

I was about to stand up when something took me from the leg and began to pull me way from the group. I screamed truly scared as I was dragged to the trees trying to grasp on anything I found on the ground.

My mind screamed me to kick and fight to run at the safety of the search party. To find comfort on humans as I had been taught my whole life. But then it told me to stop fighting, and it wasn't until then that I realized it was Toothless.

I stopped fighting and yelling, Toothless let me go as soon as we were out of view and I hurried to his back.

"Quickly, to the camp," I told him and he ran off to the little place where we had landed.

" _What's happening?"_

"They know about the book and want to steal it." I told him and jumped off as we got to the camp and packed up, horrified realizing the search party were closer than I thought.

" _How did they know?"_

"I don't know! Now we need to go," I said putting my sword out and making a cut on my arm.

" _What are you doing?!"_ the dragon screeched.

"Bite me," I told him, ignoring the question.

" _What? No!"_

I sighed exasperated and quickly explained, "I'm going back, I'll tell them I found our camp, fought the "Dragon Conqueror", searched for the book and found nothing. But I have to make this look real."

" _Why don't we just go?"_

"Because they will keep looking for us and for this book," I said waving it on my hands before saving it on my satchel, "If I tell them it doesn't exist they will stop following us. There is something about that Alvin, he is from inside the Archipelago and had tracked us since the first town and knew about the book... we have to make him stop searching."

The dragon sighed and agreed to bite me, but just the boot, where he had pulled me from.

"Perfect, now-" He blasted the ground once and swung his tail hitting my back and throwing me face first to the ashes. "Hey! What was that for?"

" _You said you want it to look real,"_ he said still annoyed with the idea of him hurting me.

"Ha-ha, very funny," I said, standing up. "Okay, stay close, but not too close," I told him, not knowing how this would turn out.

I ran back at the group, guiding myself with the flickering lights of the torches that came from between the trees. By the time I reached them I was panting. The way seemed shorter on Toothless' back.

"Woah, Nadia, are you alright, lass?" A man asked.

I rested my hands on my knees and raised a thumb as I tried to breathe right again.

"What happened?"

"It took me to their camp," I said breathlessly and stood right, "there is no book, I searched for it. She… she tried to kill me," I had to stop and rest my hands on my knees again raising a finger to make them wait.

"They flew away after the Night Fury tried to blast me, I hid. I think… they think… I'm dead."

"I don't think tha's true," Alvin said, making his way to me pushing people away.

"What? Dude, I almost died!" I said slowly stretching my back. He reached out a hand and snatched my satchel from me. "Hey! That's mine!" I yelled trying to reach for it.

He put a hand inside and pulled out my book, I went pale.

"So, there is no book, huh?"

"Give it back, I almost died for it." I said harshly.

"Too bad," he said tossing me the bag but keeping the book. Toothless roared and everyone freaked out. "Well, I guess they are going ta' be pleased ta' really kill ye this time."

Alvin suddenly put out his sword. I heard Toothless, this time closer but Alvin twisted his sword and hit me with the hilt on the head and everything went black.

* * *

 

I woke up on the forest's floor. Suddenly completely awake and alert.

I looked around, the forest was calm and quiet. A weird light was coming from everywhere, illuminating it all.

"Toothless?" I asked when I realized he wasn't at my side, my voice carried a weird echo. I stood and shook the… dirt? There wasn't any of the usual dirt, mud or ashes on my clothes. Not even the blood of my new wounds.

Not even the wounds or long-live scars.

There was definitely something odd about this. Maybe it was the light, or the fact that it was all so clean and quite –even myself.

Something chirped behind me and I turned with a yelp that echoed through the forest. A small green Nadder was standing alone, tilting its head.

I sighed. "Hey, little fella, got lost?" I asked and got close making the Nadder turn and walk away. A few feet away, it stopped to face me and tilted its head again. The tail was swinging playfully and it looked at something on the forest behind it and then to me.

"Oookay," I said awkwardly and searched Toothless with my eyes one last time before following the small dragon.

We walked through the forest and I couldn't shake the weird feeling off. Even less when I began to notice the forest looked just the same.

The same lifted root the Nadder had happily jump over. The same low branch I had hit myself three times.

It was all the same until we got to a cliff. No, it wasn't a cliff. As we got closer and closer I could see more of the enormous cove we had arrived to.

I walked to the edge and looked down. Thousands of different dragon species lived together around the bay that continued to the sea.

A small "wow" left my lips as I took more in. Dragon species I have never seen or heard of. All of different colors and ages. I began to see different environments too. The aquatic dragons had the sea, most of the cove in front of me was grassland, on both sides of the entrance of the water was a huge forest of all kind of vegetation and to one side of the entrance it was covered in snow.

The Nadder called for my attention again, and it took a lot of me to stop looking at the place and follow the small dragon trough a path that lead us down.

We walked at the wall's edge, over boulders and roots, slowly going down. With every step, I stopped to admire the beauty of both flora and fauna. I decided that I was definitely dreaming because there was no way that I had miss this when I landed.

We reached the ground and walked to the bay, I froze halfway. How could I have miss that? _How_?!

In the lake were three huge –and when I say huge I don't mean Timberjack-huge or Typhoomerang-huge, I mean mountain-like huge- dragons.

My jaw fell open, my eyes trying to take all in once again, because this _couldn't be real._

The one on my left looked quite literally like a mountain. Boulder and big, half of it was inside the water and the part that wasn't was covered in dirt and trees. Dragons were landing on its back and it didn't seem to bother at all.

It looked like an island with a serpent-like neck coming out at the water. Its scales of a soft green that was rather calming. It was looking down at sleeping dragons on the shore, liking and nudging them.

The one of the middle was half covered in water too, its long neck was almost the only thing out, it's shinny blue scales of different tones reflected the sky. The dragon was surrounded by others, especially hatchlings and short-wings. They were playing around and the big dragon looked with loving eyes.

On my right was another dragon. At first sight I thought it was jet black but as I looked longer I noticed the scales were actually of a very dark blue, as the night sky. The scales shinned too, in an odd way that make it look like stars. The eyes of a light blue, almost white. Its neck stretched out of the water to reach just one dragon that was on shore: a black Night Fury.

It wasn't until then that I realized what this was.

I looked again at the dragons. One of the earth, one of the sky, and one of the night.

"The three Ladies," I whispered in wonder and disbelief. Was this really happening?

The dragons seemed to hear me because the three of them turned to me. I stammered, feeling a huge weight falling above me.

Toothless happily roared my name and ran to me, nuzzling my side and the weight lifted.

" _Little Viking,"_ the dragon on the middle, the Sky Lady I presumed, greeted with a nod, using the name dragons had gave me –just Toothless could call me "Fuzzy". I looked at her, it was weird, I was closer than I remember walking.

Suddenly, I realized something and almost threw myself to the ground as I tried to bow quickly. Bowing was a sight of respect that dragons showed to their queens and I had got used to show it too. And these dragons were obviously more important than a queen.

The Sky Lady hummed a laugh, _"Stand up, Little Viking."_

I did, though my knees were weak. I couldn't believe it. How was this even possible? They looked at me and I looked at them for what seemed like an eternity. There was something in their eyes, as if they were expecting something but I just could look at them with the hint of a smile on my lips.

" _You are taking this very well,"_ the Earth Lady growled slowly with a motherly tone that made me feel warm inside. Then I panicked.

"Wait. Am I dead?" I almost yelled.

They laughed in a weird humming-purring sound that calmed me down.

" _No, no."_ The Earth Lady said, _"your body is a bit wounded but is safe in the forest you were in, but your mind left Midgard."_

I nodded in agreement then frowned, "I did what?"

" _We wanted to communicate with you,"_ the Sky Lady said, _"this was the only way."_

"You wanted to communicate with _me_?" I asked confused.

" _Little Viking,"_ the Night Lady purred, lowering her neck to be closer to me. Toothless instantly left my side and nuzzled her jaw with his nose. He seemed too small at her side.

She nuzzled him back before asking, _"do you know why can you understand my night-person? Why can you understand any of us?"_

"Uh… I supposed I just… spent too much time with him I kind of… learn their language?" I said realizing how stupid it sounded now that I said it out loud. "Is that or I'm getting crazy."

" _You are not completely wrong,"_ the Sky Lady growled lowly.

"The crazy part or…" I trailed off.

She laughed a bit, then explained, _"Being so close to our kind had help you, but not all humans can just learn our language."_ She lowered her neck until her head was just in front of me. Big, blue eyes the size of my body looked at me and I could swear she was looking to my very soul.

" _You can understand us because there is something inside you that is like us."_ She said and there was a sparkle of pride on her eyes.

"What?" I laughed nervously and gave a step back.

" _When you were born you were chosen by your gods and I took away your human inner-fire,"_ You did what? I wanted to say but was too shocked by the words of the Sky Lady to do so, _"And I replaced it with one like us."_

"My-my inner-fire?" I stammered, "but… isn't that like… me? Who I am? A-" a Viking. No, I was no Viking.

" _You ARE a Viking,"_ the Sky Lady said and I wondered if she could read my mind, _"on your heart you are, and it beats with the courage of one."_

" _Your different inner-fire is what lets you learn our language and understand it. It has grown stronger these last moons that it even had let us communicate with you"_ The Night Lady said, raising up and Toothless returned to my side, a playful glint on his eyes.

Communicate with me?

"But- why?" I asked still confused on that matter. I looked at Toothless, remembering what he had said when I asked again about the ladies a few weeks ago. He had said they still could communicate with dragons through worlds, that all their minds were connected somehow but even when they were present in everyone's minds they just talked when it was super important stuff.

Toothless had said he hadn't even seen them. No wonder why he was so happy to have the Night Lady at his side.

"I thought you just communicate when it was something important." I said.

" _It is, Little Viking."_ The Night Lady said with a tone that left me uneasy, _"You are getting away from your path."_

"My path?"

" _As I said, when you were born you were chosen by the gods."_ The Sky Lady said.

I stared at her for a moment, not really liking the turn the conversation had taken. I asked carefully, "Chosen for what?"

" _To end the war between our species."_ The Earth Lady explained, _"you are a connection and only a person like you can end this with peace. There had been others before you, and there will be others after your time but you are the one that had gone farther."_

" _The first step is always the harder, but you have already make the right decision befriending my night-person but you also decided to leave, getting both of you away from your destiny."_ The Night Lady said softly, then her tone got serious as she said, _"You two have to return. Destroy what lays on the nest. That would end the raids to your islands. With the raids done you can bring peace."_

Destroy what lays on the nest… there was something about the way she said it that bugged me.

"But, what's on the nest?"

The ladies turned to Toothless, showing confusion. The Night Lady talked, her voice with a hint of disappointment and a little bit of anger, _"didn't you tell her?"_

The Night Fury made himself small, _"I didn't want to scare her,"_ he whimpered but I remembered the way he acted when any question related to the nest came into conversation.

The one scared was him.

And, to be honest, that scared _me._

Toothless turned to me and sat on his haunches, he looked at me but then turned his head away. I had never seen Toothless so nervous, so scared. He wouldn't even meet my eyes. He had said bad things happen on that nest, but how bad could they be to make Toothless afraid?

" _Inside the nest there's- a queen. As in any nest she is supposed to protect us but… even when she promised, she doesn't."_ out of nowhere Toothless snarled, " _She is_ **not** _a good queen_." His tone returned to the frightened one as he continued, " _She doesn't care, she lures you in with promises of rest and food and a warm spot to sleep on… but inside the nest there is nothing than fear."_

With every word he said tension grew and even the dragons around us began to quiet down a bit. _"And you can't leave. You are trapped in there and obey her out of fear. She is big enough to be a mountain herself and if we don't bring food… she eats one of us."_

I looked at him in horror. _That_ bad it could be.

" _Your kind, Vikings,"_ the Earth Lady said softly but even her voice couldn't calm me down now, _"call it a Red Death."_

Everything stopped with those two words. The soft breeze, the chirping birds, the baby dragons playing around and every dragon-sound in general.

My own breathing stopped, my legs stopped working too and as I tried to step away from this reality, I fell back on my butt.

Toothless quickly was on my side and I forced myself to breathe again. Heavy, unsteady breathes left my lips, "N-no, t-the Deaths were killed, centuries ago!" I stammered.

The Big Deaths, we called them, they were almost legends, just myths as the stories of how they were killed. No one alive lived in those times. Those stories are way older than this war. The Purple Death, the Green Death, and some others… they were all killed. Funny enough a Hiccup Horrendous Haddock had killed one of those.

" _There is still one, she is from the Alpha species,"_ The Earth Lady said, still trying to calm me down with her voice but it didn't have any effect on me anymore.

"Th-The what?" I almost yelled, not controlling my own voice. What were they talking about now?

" _Alphas, like us, were given the power to be inside the minds of our own kind,"_ The Night Lady explained, _"we were given that power to protect but the Deaths got corrupted for it and forced other fire-people do things they don't want to."_

"B-but how?"

" _I think your friend can explain you that, after all, he was under her control… until you got him out."_ The Sky Lady said proudly, _"you have that power Little Viking, you were born with it. You are special. You are not like other Vikings."_

"So, if…" I couldn't breathe, "I need to go back? to the place I ran away from?" a small fire of anger lighted up inside of me and I let it grow, "you understand that if that thing doesn't kill me someone from Berk surely will?! The whole freaking archipelago knows I'm a traitor and they won't doubt on killing me!"

Toothless cooed my name in a small warning but I cut him off.

"No! I- I can't do this. I _won't_!"

The Sky Lady raised up, showing more of her body, and opening her wings slowly. Even when there were no clouds over us the place darkened and I felt a huge weight over myself. It was similar than the one I had felt when they first turned to me but way, way worse.

The Earth Lady and Night Lady growled stopping the other. I could see lighting and fire in her furious eyes and I felt so small on her presence that for a moment I wanted to agree, I wanted to say yes, I'll go back and kill the queen.

But I pushed that thought out of my head. I wished I could be brave enough to stand up and say "no" one more time but instead I recoiled my legs and pulled myself back.

The other Ladies growled again.

" _We will give you time to think,"_ the Sky Lady said, though she wasn't speaking in soft growls and purrs anymore, her voice didn't carry that pride as when she talked to me a few minutes ago. It was a deep growl and a harsh voice that sent quivers down my spine. _"You have until sunset."_

* * *

 

I woke up, I was on the floor, again. Dizzy and hurt. I could feel every single wound, the dried mud on my skin, and the clothes sticking with sweat on my sore body.

Toothless was sleeping on my side and the sun was casting shadows on the trees.

Gods, it had been a dream. It all was a dream. The Ladies, the destiny thing, that a Big Death was still alive and on the Archipelago. Just a dream, a very bad dream.

I tried to sit up and groaned, waking Toothless up. He pushed my side softly, helping me to a siting positon. Alvin hadn't been a dream, he was real, and he had my book.

My hand raised to my head. My hair was glued to my skin with something dried that I suspected wasn't mud. I scratched it and saw the dried blood under my nails. Well, at least I wasn't bleeding anymore.

Toothless cooed, _"You don't want to go back?"_ it wasn't a question and it made me feel sick. It had been real, all of it.

"What are they thinking?" shouting made my head dizzy but it didn't stop me, "I'm sixteen! What kind of idiot puts Midgard faith in a sixteen-year-old kid!" I yelled, pointing at me and gesturing wildly with my hands.

The dragon cooed my name in warning, _"you shouldn't speak like that. You insulted the Ladies and you are insulting your gods."_

"I don't give a damn about the gods! Or the Ladies! I can't-" All the fury gathered left me in a shaking breath, just an unsettling feeling of fear and sadness was left inside.

I hugged myself, recoiling my legs to be a small ball. Toothless purred reassurances, trying to calm me down and stood up just to circle me and lay down again. I tried to stop but I began to cry. I leaned my body on Toothless, weeping.

"I can't go back," I managed to say. How could I? After what I did I couldn't show my face. I was just getting used to be alone, seeing the bright side of being an outlaw. To having no father and no other friend to relay on but Toothless.

I was too scared to go back to Berk. And now, knowing what waited on the nest… I was completely terrified.

The sun kept moving on the sky. After a few hours, I calmed down. I was still laying on Toothless' side; it was all my sore body could do. I stroke his black scales softly as I thought of every little hint he had said of the nest.

' _Once I didn't eat for two moons.' 'Aren't queens supposed to see you have enough food?'_

' _They have got into your head and made you thought you are something you are not! I know that because that is what_ she _does!'_

' _Toothless… what is going on in that nest?' 'Bad things.'_

' _If you wanted to see the world why did you stay?' 'It's not that easy… I couldn't leave.'_

"Toothless?" I said softly, "why didn't you say anything?"

The dragon shifted uncomfortable, his anxiety and fear was palpable. _"I didn't want to scare you,"_ he growled lowly, _"you missed your birth-nest, if any day you wanted to go back to it I didn't want her to stop you."_

After a long moment of silence, I spoke again, "What do they do?" Toothless turned to me, not understanding the question. "The alphas. The Ladies said they have the power to enter your minds… one day you said she makes you think you are something you are not."

Toothless sighed _, "Sh-she lures you in with a song… you hear what you want, what you need, and she promises that. Once you agree to her song you are doomed, she is already inside your head, she sees your inner-fire and manipulates it, changing who you are and what you want to do."_

" _Go out to see the world changed to fire things up, to destroy your weapons so my nest-mates won't get hurt. I don't even know how long it took for her to release me. Like that you are not completely under her control, you can think by your own again but if you try to scape she calls you, and you_ have _to answer."_

" _By that time, you obey out of… fear. Being so long on her control makes you forget a lot of things, I don't remember lot of places I went to. I barely remember my birth-nest, my parents, my nest-mates… I didn't remember my own name."_

"But… you are out of her control now." I half-asked, worried that she could call him again.

" _Thanks to you,"_ He answered.

"The Sky Lady said I had the power to put you out of the alpha's control." He nodded, "but I didn't do anything, how did I…" my voice trailed off, not understanding a thing. I barely understood the fact that there was a part of "dragon" inside of me.

" _I don't know…"_ he sighed, _"most times when a dragon gets taken down she leaves them at their own if they can't escape fast. But when I was on the cove I still could hear her calling me, I was trying to escape that place to go back but with you being there I just… forgot? When you are at my side I just… forget about her."_

I smiled a bit and stroke his neck. A slightly uncomfortable silence fell upon us and my mind swam on the memories of what just happened. Every word the Ladies had said circled inside my head, everything I had seen and feel.

Even the scary feeling of the Sky Lady getting angry. That weight and pain on my head as she looked at us. I remembered how small I felt and how I just wanted to agree to make her stop.

"What does it feel like to be on their control?" I asked, too late realizing I shouldn't had done that.

Toothless shifted uncomfortable and shook me off to turn his body away from me, curling aside me instead of around me. " _Horrible_ " he said shortly.

" _It's not supposed to be like that. It doesn't feel wrong when I'm with the ladies but with the queen…"_ Toothless' body shivered, _"your head hurts, there is a weight inside you and you feel like you are being crushed by a mountain. The more you resist their control the more it hurts. It gets so unbearable that is better to just… cede in."_

Toothless' body stiffen, he moved a bit to curl up more. I slid my hands on his neck and hug him, pressing my cheek against his scales. Almost without realizing I made one of the two dragon's sounds I knew how to do and howled lowly to comfort Toothless.

" _I'm just glad you don't have to feel that,"_ he purred and the memory of that horrible weight came back. I swallowed hard but said nothing, he _can't_ know that pressure.

"We are not going back," I told him after a while. Toothless let out a questioning whimper and I nuzzled his neck with my cheek. "I'm not letting her hurt you, I promise. You are safe out here and that's how it is going to stay."

Toothless shifted, turning his head to me. _"but… your birth-nest…"_

"I don't miss them, not anymore. Besides, if I go back they will try to kill me. We both are safe here."

Toothless turned completely, laying on his back. He extended his neck and licked my temple, taking the dried blood off and though the pressure of his tongue hurt it let a nice, cool feeling.

I giggled and cleaned the saliva off my eye before turning to the sky. It was way pass midday; the day had gone on too fast and a few hours it would get dark again.

"We are going to see them again, aren't we?" I asked Toothless, recalling the last thing the Sky Lady had said.

Toothless cooed a 'yes' looking at the sky too. _"You should rest,"_ he said, softly pushing me to the ground.

I resisted and pushed his head away, "I'm fine, I don't really want to sleep."

Toothless looked at me with inquisitive eyes –I never turned down a chance to sleep. _"Staying awake is not going to stop meeting them,"_

"Wha? Who-who said I was trying to delay anything?" I said with the most innocent tone I could manage. But Toothless wasn't buying it. I hugged my knees and shrugged, "I thought it would work."

" _They call, you answer. That's how an alpha's power works."_

"But I'm not a dragon, they can't control me, right?" At that Toothless eyes filled with fear and mines did too. I had a knot in my throat that wouldn't go away, even if I swallowed it.

" _I don't know,"_ Toothless growled lowly and we both went quiet. I remembered once again the Sky Lady and that awful feeling when she got angry, how I just wanted to accept… that weight I felt when I first were on their presence.

What if they could control me?

"So, we are screw," I mumbled looking down to my filthy boots. Toothless growled, not understanding, "If they want us to go back they can just… make us do it, we don't have a choice."

" _We do."_ Toothless purred and rolled to be around me again, _"Alphas have power but is to protect, they don't force you to do something you don't want to. The queen is bad, that is why she does it."_

"But what if they do?" My voice sounded like one of a scared child, and I couldn't say I wasn't one.

" _They let it be our decision, the Sky Lady wouldn't have given you time to think about this if she didn't want it to be. Of course, they want us to go back but it had to be on our own accord."_

"Do you want to?" I asked him and he adverted my eyes before looking deeply into them.

" _I will always follow you,"_ he purred softly, _"not matter where that takes us."_

I smiled and rested on his neck again, stoking his scales as I stubbornly tried not to sleep.

* * *

 

I woke up resting on the grass of the beautiful cove the Ladies laid on.

"Are you kidding me?" was the first thing I said, I didn't even remember falling asleep. Toothless was widely awake, still curled up around me.

" _I hope you have come to your senses,"_ the Sky Lady said with a complex of superiority that made my blood boil. I stood up, my hands fists at my sides as I walked to the shore –well, I just had to give a step forward and I was already before the Ladies.

I blinked twice a bit confused but shook my head. "Look, I understand that this is a whole "destiny" thing and that somehow the gods are involved on this, but- well, no. Actually, I don't understand half of what is going on." I admitted.

"But the point is…" suddenly I couldn't speak, the simple thought of the Sky Lady being angry frightened me. I took a deep breath and forced myself to talk, "I'm not going back."

Everything went silent. And this time it wasn't just the Sky Lady the one angry, the Three Ladies looked at each other, first shocked then mad. They looked at me and everything began to take a darker tone, a crushing sensation fell upon me.

" _Don't you understand what this mean?"_ the Earth Lady said, trying to get a hold on her voice.

"Yeah, I do. But that doesn't change the fact that I don't want to go back."

" _The gods chose_ you _, over_ all _humans."_ The Night Lady snarled.

"Well, the gods do very crappy decisions," I muttered what just made them angrier.

The Sky Lady raised up, _"I gave you your inner-fire, I made you who you are!"_

I opened my arms to show my whole body, "Great job you did!" I said, not afraid to talk back. Then her eyes turned to slits and the fear came back. My head buzzed and hurt as if two boulders were crushing me, I groaned and tried to shake the pain away. My breath speeded up, knowing exactly what the pain meant.

Toothless snarled and put himself between the Ladies and I. Showing his teeth and his ears flat on his neck as he took a defensive stance. My breath returned to normal, looking at the Night Fury's courage. To be honest I wasn't expecting him to protect me from the Ladies.

" _Get off the way,"_ The Sky Lady ordered. Toothless' body stiffened, he shook his head and I got a glimpse of his eyes, turned to thin slits. Worry overcame fear and pain and I stepped forward, putting my hand on his bare neck.

"Toothless?" I asked softly. His body was shaking but he began to step back, his eyes forcefully closed, his jaw clenched as in pain, "bud?" I asked, this time louder and my voice broke.

He suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils were still slits but they were more normal _. "No."_ he snarled. His eyes, filled with fury, looked up to the Ladies. _"If she doesn't want to go back, we aren't going back."_

The Sky Lady's eyes widened, offended of him talking back and surprised that he could do that. _"You are supposed to put some sense on her head-"_ And Toothless did another thing I wasn't expecting, he cut her off.

" _You think I want to go there again? To return to that nest? To see how many she had eaten in the last winter?"_ he hissed angrily, _"I don't want to go back either and there is nothing you can do to make us change our minds!"_

The Ladies turned at me, looking me as if it was my fault that Toothless was talking like that to them. And yes, it was. And yes, I was proud of it.

" _She will become more powerful,"_ the Night Lady said making a last try to change my mind, _"she will destroy the whole archipelago and the first island to go is going to be yours."_

" _Don't you care about your nest?"_ the Earth Lady asked, _"your friends, your father?"_

My hands turned to shaking fists and returned to my sides, "No. I had no friends in there and Stoick the Vast is no longer my father, I'm not a Haddock and I have no attachments to anything or anyone! Just to Toothless."

" _You were born with a dragon's fire and it is your destiny to make peace-"_ the Sky Lady began to explain with an exasperated tone but I cut her off.

"Well, screw destiny!" I shouted, "I'll do what I want to do!"

" _Don't you understand, child?"_ the Night Lady tired, _"You can't avoid this! It is already written."_

I frowned and my voice suddenly turned to a high-pitched tone, "You said there were others,"

" _Not like you,"_ She said, shaking her head. The Night Lady looked at the Night Fury still standing protectively between us, _"just look at what you did."_

" _The others had a fire-person's inner-fire but not as strong like yours."_ The Earth Lady explained, she had calmed and was speaking in that soft voice of hers, looking at us in marvel. _"You have accepted it, Dragon Master, it is what gives you the curiosity for our species. And it is completely compatible with the one of Thunderstorm."_

_Thunderstorm?_

" _Do not call her Dragon Master,"_ the Sky Lady said bitterly, _"she doesn't deserve that name. Maybe we were wrong, she is not the chosen."_

" _She is Dragon Master, just look at them."_ The Night Lady said confusing me more, I thought dragons called themselves fire-people. And so far, any of them –except Toothless- had called me Little Viking and now I was Dragon Master?

" _Their inner-fires are connected,"_ the Night Lady continued as if we weren't there, _"she and Thunderstorm were meant to meet."_

" _That is NOT my name!"_ Toothless snarled.

" _Oh, and what is it? That silly name she gave you, as if you were her pet?"_ the Sky Lady snarled and Toothless snarled back.

"He is _not_ my pet," I said with a strong voice, "Toothless is my friend." Toothless stood tall at my side, his tail around me. "You wanted this to be our decision, well, this is our decision. Find another one to do the job."

" _You are the one,"_ the Night Lady said, _"it is already written, no matter what you do, you will go back."_

"We are not." I said stubbornly.

" _It's your destiny, there in no way to change it."_ The Earth Lady said.

"Watch me."

" _Let her try,"_ the Sky Lady told the others, _"things will just get worse for her."_

Something boiled inside of me, "Is that a _threat_?" I asked harshly.

" _Fuzzy,"_ I heard Toothless call but it wasn't coming from Toothless, _"Fuzzy!"_

Suddenly I opened my eyes. Toothless was harshly nuzzling my side, sending bolts of pain all aver my body, "I'm awake, I'm awake!" I shouted to make him stop. I looked around, it was still night and Toothless' body lose in the darkness that for a moment I thought he wasn't there but his shinny green eyes said otherwise.

"What happened?" I asked, not understanding why everting had ended so abruptly.

" _You were going to threaten the Ladies."_ Toothless said a bit concerned, _"this was the only thing I thought to stop you."_

I looked around, still confused, "How?"

" _Fire-people can hear them no matter what but you need to be asleep, I supposed if you were awake you wouldn't hear them, so I woke you up."_

"You… can still hear them?" I asked slowly, worried to let Toothless alone in front of them. The Ladies were to dragons what gods were to Vikings. I could scream and say all I wanted of the gods there and here but if I was standing in front of them, things would have gone a bit different.

" _No…"_ Toothless said, just realizing he didn't hear them anymore, _"we already made a decision and we pissed them off so I don't think they will even talk to us ever again."_

I grimaced and instantly felt bad. Toothless looked so happy at the Night Lady's presence and he always talk of her with such adoration and I took his chance of seeing her again away.

Then I remembered what she had said. It was written. It was destiny. We couldn't avoid it.

 _Watch me_ , my own voice sounded inside my head and I smiled. "So, what did you say about that island with the blue fires?"

Toothless' mood changed completely. He gave me a gummy smile, excitedly moving his tail side to side. I laughed and stood up, jumping to the saddle in one move. And without thinking we took off, leaving on the ground the mess that were our lives.


	16. Chapter 16: New Lands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2018! ...So, yeah, it's ben ages but college, family, life, job, you know the drill.
> 
> There is a new thing on this chapter that you'll notice right away and it's that I wrote it in third person.   
> I liked the fact that on first person you could just see HER pov of things and I could have fun with her thoughts and inner monologue buuuuut the first person had been bugging me for a long time (like around chapter 7) but I didn’t want to change it since I already began with first person. 
> 
> But as I was writing this chapter it REALLY began to bug me how it was turning out, one part was bc I wrote it on pieces as the months passed bc I just could work on it at moments. And something about the way it was written bothered me too, so I rewrote what I had (like half the chapter) on third person and it looks better for me? Also, is way faster and easier to write like this for some reason.
> 
> I don't know if I'm keeping it like this, probably yes, though idk if I would rewrite all the other chapters I've already posted. Anyways, let me know what you think of this change, if you like it better like this or like it was before or any other kind of comment.
> 
> Now, on with the story!

Five days. It’s been five days since Hiccup last had a good night of sleep. Or any kind of “sleep” for all that mattered.

First, because it had taken the duo two days of non-stop flight to get to the new island. And now that she was able to sleep… she was just too scared to do so. ‘ _What if they call me?’_ the mare though of it bugged her.

Did Toothless know? Of course not. He was so happy to travel, fly the long distance, get into a new place -that wasn’t that new at all because he had been there before. But it was new for Hiccup and he was happy to share one of his favorite places with her. And Hiccup didn’t have the heart to take that away for something as silly as that.

Since they arrived, the days had been the same. Hiccup was constantly trying to keep moving and do something, _anything_ that kept her awake. Even play Toothless’ rough games. Whenever they set camp, Hiccup would put traps around while Toothless went off to hunt, they had let the sea far behind and fish was off the menu, so they had to rely on rabbits, foxes, and other animals that Hiccup had no idea what they were.

Toothless wasn’t stupid, he knew Hiccup wasn’t getting any sleep at night, she would always insist on a night flight that went from the sunset to almost the sunrise that was the usual sleeping time for humans. He wasn’t really bothered by it, he loved the night and Hiccup said it would be safer if they traveled in a dark sky where no one could see them and set camp on the days.

And so, they did. Flights at nights, Hiccup slept on the mornings while Toothless hunted, then they eat and play and explore on foot. Or so he thought.

While Toothless was hunting, what Hiccup was actually doing was trying not to fall asleep. Making different tasks to keep her mind awake, walking around in circles on the camp while drumming her fingers on her tights until she got bored of the same trees.

One of her favorite things to do was to walk on the forest by herself, counting steps, trying to remember an old song or making up a new machine in her head. Even when she would never make one of those ever again. It gave her a nice feeling of familiarity to be alone on the woods.

But today was her sixth day without rest and the nice feeling was long gone. She was finding more and more hard to keep it up, physically and emotionally.

Hiccup walked -more like tumbled- around the forest, barely avoiding branches that scratched her arms and her already-messed-up tunic. Her feet would hit every rock and root and it was a miracle she hadn’t fallen over.

Even when she was going in a very slow peace, walking was getting a very difficult task. Her body was heavy, and her brain wasn’t really working. All she wanted to do was to lay down and let sleep consume her, but the simple thought of the Ladies kept her -somewhat- awake.

In a puny attempt of keeping herself distracted with something, she had begun to tell herself Gobber’s Boneknapper story as she tried to walk straight ahead; but her body was losing its balance, making her slowly swing to the sides just to quickly catch up and don’t fall.

And with her tone of voice, anyone looking would think she was drunk. And Goober’s Boneknapper wasn’t the ideal story to look coherent.

“From the center… the center of the earth blas- blas… blasted forth!” she mumbled as her eyes tiredly closed, “the hammerhead whale riding the hammerhead yak. No. No, no, no. The… the hammerhead shark…”

Hiccup shook her head and opened a bit her eyes to see a fallen tree on her way. She held on its exposed roots for balance and climbed it, sitting on her way down.

“The hammered head, hammerhead… hammer-hand… Gobber’s ham-ed hand…”

In a not-so-comfortable position, hugging the roots and nuzzling her cheek on the dirty wood, Hiccup quickly fell asleep; just to find herself screaming inside with a:

_‘Open you eyes! Open them! Open them!’_

What was supposed to be a blink had lasted too long and now, even when she wanted to move, her tired body didn’t let her do so.

A bright light shinned in front of her, it was blue and bright enough that, even trough her closed eyelids, she could see it. What it was? Hiccup didn’t know and didn’t care, she closed her eyes tighter and groaned as she nuzzled against the dirty roots.

Then someone sighed.

Hight pitched and too close to Hiccup. She opened her eyes a bit with trembling eyelids, she had to blink a few times to focus her blurry vision. Inches away from her face someone was holding up _fire._

“AH!” Hiccup yelled and fell back and off the tree. The sook had been enough to wake her up, she searched with wide eyes whoever had been holding the torch, or lamp, or whatever that was.

But no one was around.

“I’m losing my mind,” Hiccup shook her head, slowly standing up and shaking the dust off her clothes with a sigh. Just to make sure, she looked again to the fallen tree; to her surprise a small ball of blue fire popped out from behind the tree with the same high-pitched sigh she had hear before.

Hiccup gasped loudly, stepping back. Her heels hit a root making her fall back again. The… _thing_ hid again and a few seconds later it showed up behind the roots with a whisper.

Not knowing what to do, Hiccup recoiled her legs with a small whimper.

What was that thing?

It was a foot tall, half of it was a round head with two little lighter dots that seemed to be its eyes. It was completely made of fire, _blue_ fire. It moved slowly making the fire dance along. Under its head was a small portion of “body” and a pair of arms that moved up and down as its body floated.

It tilted its head with a sigh, moving closer. Hiccup’s breathe calmed, there was something about it that was kind of shooting. She had to rub her eyes to make sure it was real and not just her brain playing tricks.

Was she dreaming?

No. it had hurt when she fell. This was real. The fire-thingy floated even closer and Hiccup did what was more reasonable to do…

“TOOTHLESS!” She screamed at the top of her lungs and clumsily got to her feet, running away.

Hiccup’s brain rushed to find an explication for this, but as tired as she was her brain couldn’t do more than just focus on making her run… run? Where was she running to?

Hiccup looked around without stopping, trying to figure out where she was. But she was lost. While a lot of people who go into the forest claim all the trees look the same, Hiccup was good at differencing even the most identical trees. She had grow up taking walks without following a path and she could always go back her tracks and always know exactly where she was.

But now she had no idea.

Her body ran out of adrenaline, letting it heavy and clumsier than before. Her eyes were losing focus on the forest, the lack of sleep finally hitting her hard.

Hiccup looked over her shoulder, hopping the little thingy had gotten away even when that would mean she was running for nothing. To her horror, the damn thing was following her, happily swinging in a wide zig-zag, whispering in that high-pitched tone and flying straight _through_ things.

Was a tree in front of it? No problem, it would slam against it and appear on the other side of it like nothing, not burning anything.

“Agh!”

_Thud!_

Hiccup groaned on the ground, mentally congratulating herself for not putting attention where she was going. The fire thingy raced over her, not even noticing. Hiccup caught her breath, trying to make as less noise as possible.

Her legs begged mercy, as did her lungs and her whole body in general. She just wanted to stay there but that wasn’t possible, she had to go before-

Something whispered in front of her, almost sounding as a question. Hiccup raised her face, the thingy just a few inches away from her. Oddly enough she didn’t feel the heat of the fire. This time Hiccup didn’t yell, too tired to do so, they just… stayed there, staring at each other.

Maybe it was friendly?

Suddenly, the ground trembled a little and the blue fire looked up and twisted in itself; not a second latter, the fire was gone. Not so far after, Hiccup had a Night Fury pocking her side and calling her name, the only answer he got was a groan.

_“What happened? You hurt?”_ he purred a bit anxious. In response was a sigh, and it wasn’t coming from Hiccup. With another groan, she raised on her elbows to see not one but _five_ fires. With the small amount of energy she had left, she rolled and crawled back, searching protection behind the dragon.

_‘He is going to protect me, he can’t be afraid of fire’_ her tired brain thought, _‘he is a dragon, he has scales, he is fire proof. I am a human, I have skin… skin burns… and, that… that hurts.’_

And Toothless surely wasn’t afraid because he stepped forward and -to Hiccup’s big surprise- he began to _play_ with the fire thingies. Hiccup couldn’t do much but stare at the overjoyed Nigh Fury, jumping around with his tongue out as the fires danced around him.

“You… you know these things?” Hiccup asked, more lost and confused than before. Her eyes fell on the floating fires and they looked at her curiously. _‘what on Midgard are those?’_

_“Yes! They are the blue fires I told you of!”_ Toothless gave her a gummy smile. Hiccup nodded and let herself fall on the ground with a feeble groan. Toothless slowly got close and looked at her from above, _“you don’t look fine.”_

“’m fine, b’dy.” Hiccup managed to say.

_“No, you are not”_ the dragon insisted.

“They just scared me buddy, ‘m fine” Hiccup opened her eyes to find a pair of suspicious green eyes looking at her.

_“Weren’t you supposed to be sleeping?”_

“I… slept, then decided to take a walk.” She said in a very pathetic try of a lie

_“You haven’t sleep all this days, have you?”_ Toothless said, half annoyed.

“Whaaaat?” Hiccup answered in a long and high pitched tone, she tried to rise on her elbows to look at her dragon on a more casual and not suspicious way, but her elbows slipped on the dirt and she fell on her back again, “ow, of course I have.”

Toothless sighed, _“I’m not stupid, you look tired and you have look like that for some days now. We are going back, and you are going to sleep.”_

Hiccup hummed a “yes”, not really liking the idea but there really wasn’t another option. Toothless gave a few steps away before turning to Hiccup who was still on the ground with no intention of moving.

_“Aren’t you coming?”_ He asked, and Hiccup hummed an answer again, still not moving. The dragon sighed and went back to her, poking her sides to make her stand up.

“’m comin’” she mumbled a bit annoyed but didn’t moved or even opened her eyes.

Toothless pushed her until she rolled to her tummy and bit her clothes from behind, he carefully swung her over his shoulders and got her into her place on his back. He walked slowly to not make her fall, the slow peace finished lulling Hiccup into sleep as her body moved slightly side to side.

 

* * *

 

 

After a whole day of sleeping and another day of Toothless being mad at Hiccup for not sleeping and lying for almost a whole week, the two finally got moving.

With not close towns or villages close to them they decided to take a look from above in bright daylight. The days were getting a bit boring and Hiccup secretly wanted to get into some problem.

Since they arrived these new lands none of them had seen any dragon. Hiccup was already wondering if there were humans at all. As far as she could see, there was no sight of civilization whatsoever. No village, no farms, not even a trading post when they were close to shore.

Now they were deep into land and the only “fun” experience they had have was when Hiccup first saw the _blue-fires_. They had not seen more of those and Hiccup was rather happy about that, they had given her a good scare and were too freaky for her taste.

Toothless had said they were harmless but that was easy to say when you had fireproof skin. For Hiccup that had been enough magic stuff for a life time.

Hiccup looked down at her hip where the sword was tied to the harness. She pulled a bit from it to get it out of the short sheath, her eyes landed on the first runes carved into it. Her sword was ready for battle, strength, protection, power, balance, change, man’s and the gods’ power side by side…

She sighed heavily, wondering why did she make herself a weapon in the first place. She didn’t use it but to play with Toothless, the only time she could have actually use it was when Alvin stole her book and she didn’t have the chance to do so.

And she wanted to. She wanted to use the sword, pick up a fight with someone who wasn’t Toothless, and she had no idea of why. Hiccup was never inclined to fighting, or training, with or without weapons. She wasn’t good at it and she rather _make_ the weapons that fight with them.

But she was bored enough to want to fight. She would probably lose, and she was highly aware of that, but she still wanted to pick up a fight with someone just to _do_ something…

Hiccup groaned lowly as realization hit her. “Why am I more of a Viking now that I’m not actually one” Toothless purred confused, twisting his head a bit to see her. “oh, it’s nothing bud, just… thinking out loud.”

Toothless growled and let her to her own thoughts as she kept her eyes on the sword. Suddenly the dragon got agitated and for a moment Hiccup hopped it was trouble.

“What?” Hiccup asked, looking at the exited dragon. She followed his eyes to the ground and saw the biggest open field ever. Toothless looked at her, tongue lolling out. “Do you want to land?” she asked smiling.

As an answer Toothless immediately tucked his wings and dived down. Hiccup quickly changed the pedal’s position to stabilize the flight. They landed almost on the middle of the field, Hiccup jumped down and stretched to get rid of the numbness the long flight had left.

The black dragon drummed his paws on the ground and jumped away in the tall grass that reached Hiccup’s shoulder. Hiccup touched the grass, it wasn’t Dragon Nip, but the dragon was equally overjoyed.

He returned jumping and took a playful position in front of the Viking.

_“Run, run, run,”_ he chanted with his tongue out, _“First to the trees wins”_ he looked at the other side of the field and Hiccup followed his gaze to the far, _faaaaaar_ away trees. It took her no time to know there was no way on Midgard she could win that race, she even doubted she could make it there.

Toothless loved to run and Hiccup had raced him a few times before, she is always running from him when they play fights and she had been running away from dragons almost her whole life; and yet she couldn’t run that long without getting tired.

She couldn’t run that long… period.

One would think Hiccup should have built up some stamina for running, and she had, but not for racing a dragon, even less a Night Fury.

Hiccup had study dragon’s behavior and anatomy for the past months, she had study Toothless’ body and he was built for this. He could run around the field ten times without getting tired, without losing speed and still have energy for more. He was built for speed, both on the air and the ground.

Hiccup could run one quarter, maybe one third, of the way without problem, the other two thirds? No. Hiccup looked into the trees, already seeing herself walking to the edge of the field, panting and dropping herself under the shadows to rest while Toothless happily jumped around saying he won…

Who could she say no to that?

“Fine,” Hiccup said with a sigh and the dragon took off, “hey!” she yelled but she was just wasting time, she ran after the dragon.

Everything there was to see was an interminable sea of grass and the black dragon’s back appearing and disappearing over the tall grass as he got farther away.

“Why did I agree to this?” Hiccup asked herself after some minutes passed, her legs had begun to burn for the sudden exercise but after a short while it stopped. A new rush of energy swirled inside her body, pushing her to keep going.

Hiccup managed to steady her breathing, syncing it with her moves, felling like she was going faster, even when she didn’t know if she was actually running faster than before. But the feeling of it gave her a small sense of satisfaction that made her chase the dragon.

_‘Impossible.’_

That was the first thing Hiccup thought as the trees were getting closer, still far away but reachable. How long had been? Ten minutes? fifty? Hiccup had no idea and she didn’t care. She felt good. She felt better than good, she felt _amazing._

Toothless was way ahead and kept running even when he had already pass the trees. Reaching him was still impossible to do but at least Hiccup now knew that making it to the finish line was a more reasonable task.

Minutes latter she ran off the field and into the forest. Part of her body begged her to stop, the other part chanted as Toothless had done before: _run, run, run!_ And run she did.

It got more complicated. Now she had to jump over bushes and roots and be careful to don’t hit any branches or trees. The last one was the easier one, at least trees didn’t move.

What did move was a person as they walked just into her path.

“AGH!” Hiccup didn’t have the time to think, even less to stop. She slammed against the person. Both screamed and rolled on the ground to a stop. They ended up side to side, groaning in unison. Hiccup’s eyes fixed on the boy and her brain quickly make a verdict, he was older, bigger and surely stronger than her.

Hiccup crawled away from him and quickly stood up, immediately taking out her sword and pointing it at him. The boy looked up and exclaimed, raising his hands up in surrender. It wasn’t time to laugh, Hiccup was aware of that. But even then, she couldn’t help to find funny that a man a couple of years older than her was afraid of _her_. And knowing that no one in their sane mind would react like that on Berk, ever.

The boy said something in a foreign language and slowly stood up. Not really knowing what to do and remembering the precarious situation she was in, Hiccup raised the sword and gave a step back to put some distance between the two.

He gestured her to calm down, the only thing Hiccup did was to take a better grip on the handle. The boy eyed her up and down and asked something. Not understanding his weird language Hiccup looked for a weapon on him.

He had a weird clothing: a sleeveless shirt and a long, patterned piece of cloth that went over his shoulder then around his waist, like a skirt. A pin held it to his shoulder and a belt to his waist. On is right hip a small bag was hanging from the belt and on his left a sword. He wore no pants and had short boots.

_‘Weird’_ Hiccup thought and was bring back to reality as the black-haired boy spoke in her language.

“Norse?” he asked. Hiccup didn’t answer but failed to keep herself emotionless, the word had catch up too much her attention.

“Norse, it is,” he said, more to himself. The boy had a funny accent and as he spoke more it was obvious he wasn’t very fluent on Norse “ye can put sword down, I not…” his voice faded and his eyes focused on something behind Hiccup.

His hand slowly moved to the hilt of the sword, “No move” he said lowly and in that moment Hiccup realized what was behind her, better said: _who_ was behind her.

Hiccup took a step back, eyeing the sword of the man and putting some distance between the two. Suddenly, the guy took out his sword and raced to the dragon. Hiccup quickly got on his way and blocked his sword with hers. He looked at her confused and she took the chance, kicking him as hard as she could.

“And what do you think you are doing?” Hiccup asked the guy, knowing he could understand her. Toothless snarled at her side, making the man yell and crawl back. “Easy there, bud.” She said, enjoying the men’s reaction.

_‘I could get used to that’_ she thought as the boy looked at her with mixed emotions.

“Bud?” he asked in a high-pitched voice. Hiccup smiled a little but as funny as it was it had been enough.

“Time to go” She told the dragon, saving her sword. She had already put a foot on the pedal when the man spoke again.

“No, wait. Hold… Hold on!” he stammered, standing up quickly and taking Hiccup’s arm. She shook him off and Toothless snarled, showing all his teeth. The guy jumped back, looking between the dragon and Hiccup. “How… how ye tame that thing?”

“That _thing_ is a dragon” Hiccup told him, “and he is my friend.”

“A dragon?!” he exclaimed looking at him in awe.

Hiccup frowned, her foot slowly leaving the pedal and back to the ground, “You… didn’t know it was a dragon?”

“We no have a lot around here,” he said taking a step closer with his hands up. Even with the not hostile approach Toothless growled, taking a bite to the air and making the man take back the steep while Hiccup didn’t move an inch.

“Yeah, I noticed.” She said, eyeing him up and down, “if not you wouldn’t have attack him.”

“What? Why?”

Hiccup raised her chin and spoke with a hint of malice, “if you knew something about dragons you would know this is a Night Fury. Unholy offspring of lightening and death itself.” Toothless growled menacingly, helping give weight to her words, “No Viking had ever had an encounter to one and survive to tell the tale… but me.” She ended with a small shrug.

“Vi… Viking?” he asked steeping back and eyeing his sword.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Hiccup warned him, the man reached for it anyways. Toothless shoot a small ball of fire to the sword, throwing it away and making the man jump back.

“Yer a Viking,” with the accent it was hard for Hiccup to tell but she was sure it wasn’t a question.

“Was,” Hiccup said but decided that was too much information, “Now, remember when I said no one had survive to tell the tale?” she asked as she effortlessly jumped to the saddle. The man swallowed, the horror clear on his face, “We can make an exception, but keep your mouth shut.”

Before he could say anything, the pair had already take off to the sky.

_“You are amazing at making new friends,”_ Toothless growled lowly.

“Yes, I am,” Hiccup replied sarcastically.

_“If there was a human on the woods there should be a human-nest close and-“_

“We are going to see it!” Hiccup happily cut him off.

_“Of course, you are,”_ the dragon sighed, _“isn’t it dangerous now that the male saw us?”_

“It was just one person,” Hiccup said, looking down at her legs that had begun to burn. She caressed her tights, looking again, “what are the odds of seeing him again? Besides, I think we gave him a good scare.” She finished laughing a little.

_“We have scare more people too and then they came after us,”_ Toothless grumbled annoyed.

“Yes, but you heard the boy, they don’t have a lot of dragons here. I doubt they’ll go instantly against us if they don’t know what they are facing. Unless they are really dumb.”

_“Thing the male did,”_ Toothless muttered, _“and I don’t think they are very fond of Vikings either,”_

“Well, legally -and emotionally- I’m not a Viking anymore.” Hiccup said.

_“I don’t think they would care for that,”_ Toothless said deadpanned, _“wait, what do you mean you are not a Viking anymore?”_

“I am an outlaw and I am disowned, meaning I don’t have a tribe or a clan anymore.” Hiccup explained.

_“Does that make you stop being a Viking?”_ The dragon asked.

“I… don’t know,” she admitted, “but I _am_ going against any rule or Viking tradition ever built so… I guess that stops me from being a Viking?” She shrugged and looked forward, searching for the town, it shouldn’t be so far.

“There it is,” Hiccup said, looking at the buildings that picked out from the tress, “Let’s land, I don’t want to get too close.”

They turned around, flying close to the trees to find a safe place to land. Not too close to the town but not too far for reaching walking in some minutes. Hiccup dismounted Toothless and sat on the grass, still caressing her legs.

_“Are you hurt?”_ Toothless asked worriedly.

“No, just sore. It’s what happens when you don’t do warm ups before exercising.” Hiccup answered a bit annoyed.

_“But you are getting better_.” Toothless purred sitting at her side and licking the side of her face affectionately. Hiccup smiled a little but rubbed her cheek with her shoulder to clean the spit.

“Yeah,” She said, “but I think that’s all for today.”

_“What about the human-nest?”_ He asked.

“I’ll go tomorrow, it’s not like it’s going anywhere,” Hiccup shrugged.

_“Or,”_ Toothless grumbled, _“You could not go at all and don’t put yourself at risk.”_

“Bud…”

_“Why can’t I go with you?”_

“You now exactly why,” Hiccup said but the dragon wasn’t done complaining.

_“You can go to fire-people nests why can’t I go into human-nests?”_

“Because dragons like me and let me be there, Vikings don’t like dragons and these people seem like they don’t either.” Hiccup said calmly, “you are in more danger in there that I am.”

_“But the male didn’t like you, what if they don’t like you either and hurt you?”_

Hiccup sighed, “don’t blow this up for me. I hadn’t had a real meal in a long time, if they don’t know about dragons they probably don’t know about me. I could get a job for a short time and get money again. I _really_ need it, I need to buy food and I’m still growing,” she gestured down at herself for he to see her clothes.

“This should had last me two years more, but I don’t really think it can even last me till the end of the year.”

Toothless tilted his head, _“what about the other skins you got?”_

Hiccup bended her knees and poked at the new hole on her knee, “at the rate this is going they are going to last me two or three years, but I’ll have to buy more later.”

_“If they are going to last you three winter-cycles why bother to do it now?”_

“By that time, they man know about me,” Hiccup shifted, a bit uncomfortable with the thought, “the word will spread, it always does and if _everyone_ knows about me at some point… there is not going to be any safe place around humans.”

They stayed in silence, as realization slowly hit Hiccup. One day everyone on Midgard will know of the “Dragon Conqueror” and will do anything to either kill her or get her to work for them. It had already happened, Dagur wanted her help and Alvin had her book now.

Hiccup’s lips tightened to a firm line. She was not going to let that happen, and if people were going to see her as a threat and as the enemy she better gets getting used to it.

“Just a few months,” she said standing up to untie the bag from Toothless’ saddle. She put out her things and separated the clothes.

Hiccup still got her fur vest and the fur cloak she traded on the first town she put foot on. She had trade, buy and sell the rest of her clothes since then. By now she had two pair of trousers, two long-sleeved tunics, and short-sleeved one, all her size now.

“I’ll make this last as much as I can,” Hiccup said pulling a bit from her tunic, “I’ll buy cloth to patch it up when necessary and sell some of the rest to buy bigger ones for the future. I’ll need to buy a new pain of boots and…” she took a new tunic on her hands and looked at the rest, “If I can make these last me at least three years each I’ll have ten years covered.”

_“And after that?”_ Toothless asked.

“We’ll see when we get there.” She folded her clothes and saved them on the bag, “Clothes are supposed to last longer but this whole “outlaw” thing is really getting to them.” Hiccup looked at the rest of her things, there really wasn’t a lot of them, “Lets wait a few days, I’ll get some stuff to sell from your hunting and I’ll try to get a job on something. In a few months there’ll be enough to save, then we get away from danger.”

_“I… I doubt that’s possible,”_ Toothless growled, pulling a face.

“Okay, rephrase: Then we get away from humans as better as we can.” Hiccup said to humor the dragon, “If I ever need anything else later, I can just buy it from what I saved, we’ll be good.”

_“Sounds like a plan to me,”_

 

* * *

 

 

In a few days Hiccup had gathered enough furs to sell. She walked into the town with her plan in her head. Ready to search on any opportunity she saw a way to get a job. Hiccup had been really lucky on the first town she went into but since then it had been very difficult to get a job.

But as soon as Hiccup put a foot on the town she knew there was something wrong.

All the chatter and gossip you can hear when you entered a town was there, but she couldn’t understand a word of it.

Then she remembered the guy she unfortunately met a few days back. He didn’t spoke her language. At least not at first. What if no one else spoke it? What if they figure out she was a Viking and acted the same way the guy did? She couldn’t fight them all, and Toothless wasn’t close enough.

Hiccup breathed heavily, telling herself that it would be fine as her hands got tighter on the straps of the bag over her shoulder. She swallowed and looked down to make sure her sword was on its place.

Her brain began to race, how long would it take her to drop the bag and take the sword if she needed to? Then she realized another problem: her clothes.

She looked around, every man was wearing almost the same way the guy days ago was. And all women wore long, plain dresses. Some people stared at her. Seriously, _how long would it take her to drop the bag and take the sword if she needed to?_

With her brain and eyes distracted Hiccup bumped into someone. She backed off and stopped herself before saying “sorry” they couldn’t know she spoke Norse.

A mean-looking man turned to her and said something, frowning and waving annoyed. Hiccup grimaced nervously, not knowing what to do. The man threw her a furious gaze and an idea came to her mind.

Hiccup waved her finger in front of her and them pointed to her ear. The man’s face changed almost instantly. And asked something, Hiccup didn’t understand but showed him the bag, pulling out one of the furs.

The man nodded and pointed to his right, saying some instructions really loud and slowly. She still didn’t understand but smiled and went that direction, waving the man a little “thank you”

_‘Well, that went well’_ Hiccup thought, _‘but how am I going to sell this if I can’t understand anyone?’_

Suddenly she was pulled out of sight, someone covered her mouth and took her behind the houses.

“What yer doing on town?” A boy asked with a very marked accent. Hiccup stopped fighting for a moment, a frown deep in her face as she recognized that voice.

“You again?” Hiccup asked, taking his hand and pulling it off her mouth.

“Where dragon?” The boy asked.

“Not here, do you want me to call him?” Hiccup asked, faking politeness; then she took a breath, ready to let out a call and blow her cover, but the guy covered her mouth again. Hiccup frowned and bit his hand.

He quickly let go with a yell, “Ah! Ye bit me!”

“Get off me!” Hiccup tried to get his arm off, but he strongly kept her on spot, after struggling for a few seconds -and just before Hiccup considered scratching him- he let her go. She stepped away from him and eyed him up and down. “What do you want?” She asked harshly.

He stepped to the edge of the houses, looking around. Then with only a “come on” warning, he took her hand and dragged between the buildings. Hiccup planted her feet on the ground, as a try of stopping him but her feet slid on the dirt.

“Let go,” Hiccup said, fighting the grip of the guy on he wrist, “you big brainless jellyfish-muscled miserable excuse of a-“

“Stop talking,” he cut her off.

“Excuse me?” Hiccup said, slightly offended of but the fact he shut her up and that he cut her mid-swearing.

“Not much people here speak Norse,” The guy explained as they got closer to the forest, “yer delaying yerself. ‘n’ we don’t… get along with Vikings so…”

“If you don’t get along with Vikings then how do you know Norse?”

“People on North speak it, ma’ father’s from there.” He said, then added, “Also works for traders.”

“Traders? What traders, this place is in the middle of the forest!” the guy stopped walking and covered her mouth to stop her from screaming. Hiccup slapped his hand off and said in an intense whisper, “ships can’t sail on trees, you dumbass.”

The guy seemed really exasperated as he explained, “There is another village close to a water, a…” he struggle to find a word, “Water canal” he said.

“Water canal?” Hiccup repeated.

“Yes,” He took her hand again and took her into the trees.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Hiccup asked, feeling like if she was having a conversation with Toothless.

“Just… shut up, okay?”

“Uh, no. It’s not “okay” now let me go!” Hiccup snapped and pulled from her arm to get free, to no avail. She just needed him to let go, and she could run and not turn back.

“Stop screaming! Someone will hear ye” the guy whispered making Hiccup roll her eyes excessively.

“We are on the _FOREST_!” Hiccup yelled at the top of her lungs, hopping being that much annoying would eventually make him live her alone. Instead, he covered her mouth again.

“I’m sure people can hear that.” He said, clearly annoyed, maybe it was working? “if someone finds out ye a Viking, yer dead.”

Hiccup shook her head to make his hand fall off her mouth, “Oh then I’m supposed to thank you for dragging me out to the forest?” She asked dead paned.

“Yeah, now ye own me one,”

“I own you one?” Hiccup said in a high-pitched tone, “I let you live, I don’t own you anything!”

“Yeah, and ye destroyed a whole cargo of fruit when ye crashed with me, so ye own me one.”

“ _Fruit?_ ” Hiccup yelled, not remembering any fruit but finally getting her hand free, “I spread your _life_ , I own you nothing!”

The guy turned to her with a serious expression and gestured to her with his chin, “Call dragon,” he said.

Hiccup frowned, a bit confused, “Do you have a dead wish?”

“No, I… I want to see it.” The boy said letting Hiccup more confused.

“What for? Kill him?” She asked and pocked his chest hard, saying: “that’s not gonna happen, buddy.”

The dragon snarled behind Hiccup and jumped down a tree. The guy backed off immediately, tripping and falling down while Hiccup didn’t move an inch. She internally thanked the gods for Toothless’ overprotective behavior that had made the dragon be this close to the town after she had told him not to.

“And I don’t need to call him,” Hiccup said, crossing her arms, trying to intimidate him. “he knows when I’m in danger so _back off_ ” the guy found it hard to stand up, which mean the intimidation part had work, but it wasn’t hard when you had a Night Fury on your side.

“I… I thought Vikings fought dragons,” he stammered, both terrified and amazed, “How… how ye do it?”

“Do what?”

“Control it”

Hiccup sighed, her arms dropping at her sides, “Why does everyone thinks I control him?” She asked, more to herself. Then gestured to the dragon, wondering why did she even bother to explain, “He is my _friend_.”

“Can every Viking do this?” he asked slowly, his eyes not leaving the dragon. Toothless gave a step forward with a low growl and curled his tail around Hiccup.

“Just me,” Hiccup said. The guy stepped closer and drew out a hand, Toothless snarled, showing his teeth and getting ready to pounce. “You can’t touch him,” Hiccup said a bit harsh and smoothed the scales on the dragon’s forehead, calming him.

“Why not?” the guy asked, looking between the two.

“He doesn’t like you. To get close you need to earn his trust, and he doesn’t trust anyone.” Hiccup said, not bothering to look at the boy as she kept caressing Toothless.

_“I trust you,”_ Toothless purred, looking at her with big eyes.

“I know, buddy.” Hiccup said with a sweet smile. The boy muttered something in another language that Hiccup could not understand, but she could recognize the amazement in his tone. “you… you don’t think this is… wrong?” She asked slowly.

“Huh? No, it… is weird, but amazing,” he said, Hiccup’s shoulders relaxed a little as she looked at him with a confused frown.

Everywhere she had been people took her as a traitor, they looked at the pair with hate and fear. This boy said they didn’t like Vikings, and he tried to attack Toothless before; and yet here he was, looking at them with eyes filled with curiosity.

“So, how ye did it?” He asked, bringing Hiccup back from her thoughts.

“Did what?” Hiccup asked, now missing the harsh tone she had keep with him.

“Tame it, befriend it.” The guy said gesturing at the dragon, “he not seem bothered by yer presence.”

The frown returned to Hiccup’s face and the harsh tone to her voice, “I’m not talking about that.”

“Why not?”

“One, I don’t want to.” Hiccup quickly answered, barely letting him finish his short question, “two, why do you even care?”

“I… em…” he didn’t answer, “And… are- are ye leaving? These lands?”

“yes” Hiccup said, there wasn’t a lot she could do beside that now. She couldn’t go around with him knowing she was here.

“Why? Why not stay?”

“Why would I?” Hiccup asked, not seeing a reason for staying. She could find another village and get a job there, somewhere where this guy wasn’t messing around her plans.

“You were going to sell things, right? I can do that for ye.” The guy said, “They know me, and we spoke the same language. And ye can stay a bit more.”

Hiccup looked at him suspiciously, “Why do you want me to stay?” she asked. The only reason she could come up with was so he could tell the rest and attack her.

“Eh… well,” he scratched the back of his head.

Although, it wasn’t so bad idea. If it was to attack her she already knew it, she could get ready to fly away if necessary. But if it wasn’t for that… this guy could sell and buy things for her. Hiccup didn’t know their language and could get in trouble like that. She almost already did.

“Give me a good reason and I may consider it,” Hiccup said, taking him aback.

A feeble “uh…” was all the young man could say.

Hiccup looked him up and down, seeing more things she could take advantage of. She could make him teach her his language, or maybe more, he did seem to know more than two.

If she asked him about the sword and the smiths in here she can get a job once she learn to communicate properly.

“You are running out of time,” Hiccup said, keeping the bad attitude to press on him.

“O-Okay, look.” He quickly stammered out the words. “We not have dragon around here. All we know about them are from stories of yer lands and I not think most of the things they say are true.”

“Your point is?”

“My point is: stay. I can help ye sell stuff and buy what ye need. And… can ye teach me?” he asked nervously.

“Train them?” Hiccup asked confused, it they didn’t have dragons here why would he want to know?

“No, not train them,” he said waving his hands, “about them” he said and there was something is his eyes, a little sparkle of curiosity.

In that moment Hiccup realized he really wanted to know about the dragons. And not in the killing way. He _truly_ wanted to know. She looked away from him, really considering it now.

What if he turned out something like Alvin? Of course, she had knew Alvin was going to be a problem since the beginning. And Hiccup knew she had make the biggest mistake she has done when she decided to talk to him.

Hiccup had given him her book, all her knowledge…

On the other hand, didn’t she write that book to make others see dragons the way she does? And here it was, a boy who wanted that knowledge without a bad intention.

As far as she knew.

“Let me think on it,” Hiccup said, calmer this time. She turned to Toothless, putting a foot on the pedal, “I’ll see you tomorrow, if I’m not here it means no.”

“Wait, yer staying on the forest?” they boy asked surprised.

“Yeah?” Hiccup answered slowly.

“Ye… y-ye can’t,” he said nervously, “These woods are dangerous place, more at night.”

Hiccup shrugged it off, “I have a dragon,” she said and jumped on Toothless’ back, “if there is something out there, _they_ are the ones who need to watch out.”

Without letting the guy say another thing they took off. They flew to their camp in silence and kept it like that once they landed, it was only broken by Toothless.

_“You are really thinking it over?”_ He asked.

“I know what are you going to say,” Hiccup answered slowly, “I don’t trust him a little bit, but today I almost got in trouble in less than five minutes.”

_“I’m not surprised,”_ the dragons said, deadpanned.

“I _don’t_ understand their language,” Hiccup continued, ignoring the dragon’s comment. “If this guy does this works for me I can get in less trouble, I just have to manage with _him_.”

_“What if he tells more people?”_

“We can’t control who he talks to, but we can make sure there is no one around when we meet. Toothless, this is a huge opportunity to get what I want _and_ also stay hidden and far from human interaction.” Hiccup said with a smile, “it’s a win-win for both of us.”

Toothless tilted his head with a grimace, not sharing the same happiness his rider did, _“What about what the boy wants?”_

Hiccup pointed at him, giving him the reason. She began to pace in front of Toothless as she thought it through. Toothless sat down and followed her with his head as Hiccup gave another round.

“I can’t tell him everything,” Hiccup said after a while, “I can’t tell him _anything,_ it would expose us too much.” Hiccup remembered his eyes, filled with curiosity as he looked at Toothless; she would have give _anything_ to see that on someone’s eyes months ago.

On earlier towns, when no one knew about the _dragon conqueror_ … or on Berk, on Asher. She would give anything for someone to give her the chance to explain and see her point. To see that dragons weren’t that bad.

But not anymore.

There was too much danger everywhere. Hiccup couldn’t trust any Viking or human at all, and even when her heart yelled at her that this guy could be good, that he could be an exception… her head knew better, and it knew that it was a bad idea.

“He said there were traders in a close town,” Hiccup said without stopping the pacing, “those traders speak Norse, meaning they will eventually bring the rumors about the “dragon conqueror” here” She said making air quotes.

“Flying is way faster than sailing so we still have time before they arrive all the way here,” Hiccup stopped in front of Toothless and pointed at him, “we just have to make the guy work for us until then and then we fly out of here.”

_“What if he doesn’t want to make anything until you give something in return?”_ Toothless asked.

“I’ll just tell him some nonsense without meaning,” Hiccup shrugged, “I can make something up about dragons and he’ll surely believe it.”

_“This is a bad idea,”_ Toothless sighed, resting on the grass.

“No, it’s not.” Hiccup said a little offended, “we just have to plan this right.”

_“ **You** can plan it right,”_ Toothless said, frowning at Hiccup, _“and when it blows up on your face, it’s going to be your fault.”_

“Thanks for the support,” Hiccup said deadpanned. She sighed and sat down to think about it.

 

* * *

 

 

Next day, unfortunately for Hiccup, they had to wake up early and pack up everything on their little camp. They flew low to their meeting point and climbed on the trees, hiding on the same place where Toothless had done the day before.

It was a perfect spot to see anyone who gets close and not being seen by anyone.

After a few minutes, Toothless began to growl. The guy walked in and looked around seconds later. Hiccup put a hand on his head to calm him down.

“Easy, bud.” She whispered, and the dragon stopped. They watched in silence for a while, the guy sighed and rested against a close tree, when he got bored he began to pick on his clothes.

“Is anyone close?” Hiccup asked lowly as she was getting bored too.

Toothless’ ears went up and his nose sniffed the air. He shook his head and Hiccup patted the side of his neck. With the silent command, Toothless jumped off the tree, not bothering to make a quiet landing. The guy yelled surprised and jumped back.

“Here is my deal,” Hiccup said as a hello. Toothless walked slowly to the side, circling the guy; Hiccup had to suppress her smile, liking the way the guy cowered on their presence. “I don’t think you suddenly going to your Village with a lot of stuff to sell would look too normal, so you _are_ going to trade things for me, little by little.”

Toothless stopped walking just un front of the boy who was still startled, Hiccup leaned forward, resting her elbows on the saddle.

“In that time, you must gain my trust _and_ Toothless’” Hiccup said slowly, “if you do I’ll tell you about dragons or whatever you want.”

The guy frowned, “So, ’m doing things for free until ye decide ta pay back?” Hiccup had almost forgot the boy’s accent and broken Norse.

“Yup,” Hiccup said sitting straight, “if you don’t like it I’m going,” she added, pointing with her thumb behind her, as if she would just _walk_ from they came from.

“NO!” the guy quickly said, raising his hand to stop them. He sighed exasperated, “Ugh. Fine, deal.”

“Good,” Hiccup said cheerful and untied a bag from the saddle, “better begin with it” she tossed the bag to the boy, who trapped it forcefully, obviously not liking the situation.

“And you better not tell anyone about us,” Hiccup added, “if they know, we go.”

The guy didn’t say a thing. He looked at her angry and turned around, swinging the bag over his shoulder. He muttered something in another language as he left, Hiccup figured he was probably cursing.

_“I don’t think he is very pleased.”_ Toothless said slowly.

“I don’t think that either,” Hiccup said and patted Toothless’ neck, “let’s go back to put up camp.” The pedal made a ‘click’ as it changed position and they took flight.

Hiccup felt really bad for doing this this way. But it was the only way she could get what she needed. She had told Toothless they will only look forward to acquiring provisions for the future, but deep-down Hiccup was still hopping the guy would show up to be a trustworthy man she could share her knowledge with.

But she needed time for that. And she will give him time… see how that turns out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little more thing. 
> 
> For a while I wanted to make an original comic and I'm working on developing the story but meanwhile I'm making a comic for this fanfic, to practice the whole comic-making stuff on a thing I've already got a story. 
> 
> I'll be updating on Tapastic and on Deviant Art. You can either watch them by going on this link:  
> https://tapas.io/series/Im-Not-Fragile   
> or just search I'm not fragile on tapas, it should appear. I also have a comic just to put random ideas of this AU, here's the link:  
> https://tapas.io/series/Just-a-Hiccup
> 
> Thanks to all for reading and a special thank you to all the ones that left comments!


End file.
